This story is from March 28, 2020

Four new Covid-19 patients in Nagpur, 1 in Gondia

Three family members and one close contact of a city businessman, who tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday, also tested positive on Friday. This takes the number of positive patients admitted in isolation wards of government hospitals in Nagpur to eight.
Four new Covid-19 patients in Nagpur, 1 in Gondia
NAGPUR: Three family members and one close contact of a city businessman, who tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday, also tested positive on Friday. This takes the number of positive patients admitted in isolation wards of government hospitals in Nagpur to eight.
Family members of the 43-year-old businessman who have tested positive include his 60-year-old mother, 34-year-old wife and 14-year-old son.
A 39-year-old manager of his shop, who had travelled along with him to New Delhi between March 16 and 18, has also tested positive. With the 14-year-old boy being the youngest ever Covid-19 patient in Vidarbha, the 60-year-old mother is the eldest patient reported in the region as yet.
Divisional commissioner Sanjeev Kumar confirmed that five new patients were found positive on Friday. “Total five patients, including one from Gondia, have tested positive on Friday. Four of them are admitted in IGGMCH while the Gondia patient is in GMCH Gondia,” said Kumar.
Samples of a 23-year-old youth from Gondia, who had gone to Thailand along with some friends in Chhattisgarh in February, tested positive on Friday. Gondia civil surgeon Dr Sangeeta Bhise told TOI that the youth is asymptomatic carrier of novel coronavirus.
“As one of his friends who travelled with him to Thailand tested positive in Rajnandgaon (Chhattisgarh), the authorities from Chhattisgarh informed us about this youth. He was called and his samples were sent to Nagpur for testing,” she said.
District collector Ravindra Thakare denied that the four new cases found in Nagpur could be cases of local transmission. “Four people from close contacts of a patient have tested positive. But, this is not a case of community spread or phase three of Covid-19 as the patient has travel history to New Delhi,” he said.

As soon as three family members of yesterday’s patient tested positive, NMC swung into action. Civic officials brought total 18 close contacts, including family members of a manager who tested positive, for testing at IGGMCH. Three servants working in the businessman’s shop were also called for testing.
By Friday evening, 14 of these 18 people had tested negative. They include the businessman’s daughter, the manager’s elder brother, and two of the three servants in the shop. Results of other samples were yet to arrive. Moreover, NMC conducted door-to-door survey of 70,000 households in Khamla locality on Friday, and sent 12 more persons for testing to IGGMCH on Friday evening. Their samples will be tested late Friday night.
Even if other family members and servants of the businessmen test negative, the administration has asked them to stay in home quarantine for next 14 days. NMC also tested four employees of AG Enviro, the agency entrusted to lift garbage door-to-door from five of the 10 zones, and asked them to stay in home quarantine. These four include one driver and three workers who visit houses in Khamla area, where the businessman stays.
“I appeal to people not to panic, and stay calm. Those who face any health problems should directly call our helpline numbers. Till then, stay at home, follow hand hygiene and social distancing strictly,” said municipal commissioner Tukaram Mundhe.
On Saturday, NMC will also collect swab samples of the positive patient’s housemaid, who resides in a slum adjacent to Khamla. Two children in the locality, who are close friends of the 14-year-old boy, and two close friends of a manager will also be tested on Saturday.
Situation in Khamla Market lanes has seen some panic from Thursday afternoon since the businessman was detected as Covid-19 patient. On Friday, after four more in the same locality tested positive, panic gripped the entire area. Shops of essential goods, including medical shops, were closed and houses were locked.
By Friday evening, the video clip of a businessman admitted in isolation ward went viral, in which he is appealing to residents not to panic and follow the lockdown properly.
Three patients at GMCH may be discharged today
Three positive patients who have been recovering in the isolation ward of GMCH from March 13 and 14, are doing well. Officials confirmed that the samples of their first test after the 14-day isolation have already tested negative. At least two of them will be discharged on Saturday. These include the wife of first Covid-19 positive patient in the city, who recovered and was discharged on Thursday. He is doing well and in home quarantine for a further 14 days.
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