Sign in

Hyderabad techie who worked with colleagues from Hong Kong, tests positive for Coronavirus

On March 1, the doctors grew suspicious about the symptoms as he was not getting any relief from fever and cough. They collected his samples and got it tested at the Gandhi Hospital. Subsequently, the samples were sent to Pune, where they tested positive for Coronavirus.

Updated on: Mar 2, 2020, 20:41:37 IST
Hindustan Times, Hyderabad | By
Share
Share via
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
Copy link
  • copy link

A 24-year-old software engineer from Telangana tested positive for Coronavirus and was quarantined at Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad, state health minister Etela Rajender said.

The Union Health Ministry on Monday announced that two people had tested positive for Coronavirus making them the fourth and fifth in India to have contracted the virus. (Image used for representation). (HT PHOTO.)
The Union Health Ministry on Monday announced that two people had tested positive for Coronavirus making them the fourth and fifth in India to have contracted the virus. (Image used for representation). (HT PHOTO.)

The techie, who hails from Hyderabad and works in a software company in Bengaluru, went to Dubai on February 17 on an official assignment. “There he supposedly contracted the virus, possibly while working with some colleagues from Hong Kong,” the minister told reporters. The Union Health Ministry had earlier on Monday announced that two people had tested positive for Coronavirus making them the fourth and fifth in India to have contracted the virus. One person has been detected with the virus in New Delhi while the other is this software engineer from Telangana.

The techie returned to Bangalore on February 20 and had fever. “He attended office for two days, before arriving at his parents’ place in Hyderabad on February 22, complaining of fever again. He then visited Apollo Hospital and began taking treatment as an outpatient,” Rajender said.

On March 1, the doctors grew suspicious about the symptoms as he was not getting any relief from fever and cough. They collected his samples and got it tested at the Gandhi Hospital. Subsequently, the samples were sent to Pune, where they tested positive for Coronavirus.

“We got the confirmation of his samples testing positive for Coronavirus on Monday and shared the information with the Government of India,” Rajender said.

He said at least 70 people who came in close contact with him will undergo tests. Of them, 27 are passengers who travelled with him in the bus from Bengaluru to Hyderabad and 20 medical staff at the Apollo Hospital at Secunderabad, where he underwent treatment for fever and the rest were members of his joint family.

“All the 70 people have been contacted and were advised to undergo tests,” he said.

Rajender said the Karnataka government might request the airlines to screen the passengers who were in the flight in which he had travelled from Dubai on February 19 and 20.

Several suspected cases of Coronavirus in Hyderabad and several other places in Telangana and in Visakhapatnam, Tirupati, Rajahmundry and some other places in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh have tested negative in the last 50 days.

The health ministry has granted a Coronavirus testing lab at the state-run Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad, to ensure quick diagnosis and treatment.

All those coming from Coronavirus infested countries have been screened at the Hyderabad International Airport before being allowed to go out.

  • Srinivasa Rao Apparasu
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Srinivasa Rao Apparasu

    Srinivasa Rao is Senior Assistant Editor based out of Hyderabad covering developments in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana . He has over three decades of reporting experience.

Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather and major national developments.