Odisha paediatrician becomes first doctor in the state to contract coronavirus

The doctor had recently gone to Kendrapara to fetch his wife. She will also be tested for the disease now.

In the first-ever case of a doctor getting infected by Covid-19 in Odisha, a paediatrician employed in a government hospital of Cuttack city has been diagnosed with the coronavirus.

The doctor’s contacts are being traced by the health department. (Pratik Chorge/HT Photo/Representative use)

The doctor engaged at the district headquarters hospital, popularly known as the City Hospital, was admitted to the Ashwini Covid Hospital in Cuttack after his tests came out positive. The doctor had recently visited Kendrapara to bring back his wife. His wife will also undergo Covid-19 testing.

Meanwhile, the district administration has constituted a team to carry out contact tracing to identify people who came in contact with the doctor.

A few days ago a constable of Odisha police in Bhubaneshwar had tested positive for the disease, becoming the first Covid case in the police force.

So far, a total of 1,517 persons in Odisha have tested positive for the disease.

The HT Guide to Coronavirus COVID-19