Coronavirus update: Mumbai officials scramble to trace contacts of 45-yr-old man

The medical education and drugs department of the Maharashtra government recently released an analysed report on 122 COVID-19 positive cases where they stated that in 6% of the reported cases in the state, the reason for infection was ‘inconclusive’.

Authorities in Mumbai are scrambling to trace the source of infection of a 45-year-old man who tested positive for Covid-19 after being turned away by the government-run Kasturba Hospital. The man has no history of travel to a global hotspot or any documented contact with a previous patient.

Residents of Khetwadi 8 th Lane held a blood donation following the Covid-19 pandemic at Girgoan in Mumbai on Saturday. (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT Photo)

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has screened his children and wife but none have been found positive. Officials have also failed to trace his source of transmission. On official record, this case has been mark as ‘source of contact not available’.

“Asymptomatic people can also infected other people with lower immunity. So, it is possible that he got in a close contact with any person who is carrying the virus but hasn’t shown any symptoms yet to get identified,” said Dr Daksha Shah, deputy health officer.

The medical education and drugs department of the Maharashtra government recently released an analysed report on 122 COVID-19 positive cases where they stated that in 6% of the reported cases in the state, the reason for infection was ‘inconclusive’.

But the government dismissed speculation of community transmission occurring in the state. “So far, there is no community-based transmission reported in the state. If there had been community transmission, the number of reported cases would be increased drastically like in Italy. We are still in level-2 of transmission,” said Suresh Kakani, additional commissioner (health), BMC.