BENGALURU: Even as athlete O P Jaisha, her coach Nikolai Snesarev and the Athletics Federation of India continue to trade charges over what exactly happened with regard to refreshments for her during the marathon event at the Rio Olympics, she has tested positive for swine flu. This was confirmed on Thursday.
This comes just a few days after Sudha Singh, who took part in the women’s 3000 metres steeplechase, tested positive for H1N1 and is undergoing treatment in Fortis Hospital at Nagarbhavi here.
Confirming this, Sports Authority of India Netaji Subhas Southern Centre’s Regional Director M Shyam Sundar said, “Jaisha has also tested positive for swine flu. She was refusing hospitalisation but she has been asked to get admitted as of now. We are arranging to have her admitted in Fortis Hospital on Bannerghatta Road and SAI staff are in touch with her.”
Jaisha, Sudha Singh and Lalita Babar returned to SAI here from Rio de Janeiro on Saturday. Sudha had fever and severe exhaustion. She was admitted to Fortis Hospital at Nagarbhavi. Initially, the scare was that the athletes may have contracted Zika while in Rio. However, it turned out to be swine flu.
Jaisha had also complained of fever and bodyache but had refused hospitalisation. She left the SAI premises after taking permission and had apparently said that she would return to her hometown in Kerala.
However, she had not gone to Kerala but was understood to be staying at an apartment with another athlete. The authorities were unable to trace her for some time. They finally managed to track her and a sample was taken and sent to the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases here and then to the National Institute of Virology in Pune for testing.