Woman tests positive for coronavirus in Chhattisgarh, first in state

RAIPUR: A 24-year-old woman, who had recently returned to Raipur from London, has tested positive for the deadly coronavirus (COVID-19), making her the first confirmed case in Chhattisgarh, health officials said on Thursday.

The woman and her parents, who reside in the state capital, have been admitted to an isolation ward at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Raipur, they said.

"The woman, who studies in London, had returned home via Mumbai airport on March 15. After she complained of cold and cough, her sample was collected for testing on March 17," Medical Superintendent of AIIMS Raipur Dr Karan Peepre said.

"Her sample tested positive for the infection late Wednesday evening," he said.

After her report was received, she and her parents were immediately admitted to AIIMS and kept under observation in the isolation ward, Dr Peepre said, adding that the condition of the woman was stable.

The samples of her parents were also sent for testing and their reports are awaited, he said.