IIT-Bombay reports first Covid-19 case on campus after staffer’s health worker wife tests positive

The first case of Covid-19 at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) was reported on Thursday after the wife of a staffer tested positive for the virus.

The first case of Covid-19 at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) was reported on Thursday after the wife of a staffer tested positive for the virus.

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According to the institute authorities, the infected woman worked as a health worker at a government hospital in south Mumbai and had likely contracted the virus from a Covid-19 patient. Her husband, who is an employee of IIT-B, and their two children, have been quarantined in a separate facility on campus.

“The woman is a health worker at a hospital and her husband works at our institute. They lived on campus. Once she tested positive, she was moved to a hospital and her family was quarantined in a special area on campus. She is doing fine and is undergoing treatment,” said institute director Subhasis Chadhuri. Officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) visited the campus on Friday and standard operating procedures were followed.

“On our part, we have sanitised some of the common areas such as the lift and lobby of the building the patient was residing in. Neighbours have been asked to follow BMC directives for quarantine. We will cooperate with the state authorities on the matter,” said Chaudhuri.

Chaudhuri has also urged residents not to panic. “Although there is nothing to panic about as yet, we hope there are no more positive cases on campus,” he said. All academic and research activities remain suspended on campus since mid-March and early summer vacation has been announced. Students were asked to vacate the campus in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak and summer vacations will end on May 31. Four buildings at the IIT-B campus were earlier converted into quarantine facilities for asymptomatic flyers coming into the city from different international destinations, following the collector’s orders.