CHENNAI: An 85-year-old man residing in Tiruvanmiyur tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, and officials are now trying to find out if he contracted it from his daughter-in-law, who recently came down from the US, or from a private hospital where he was under treatment earlier this month for a cardiac issue. The man himself has no travel history.
As the daughter-in-law is currently asymptomatic, the focus is on the private hospital. According to civic officials, the chain of events goes like this: The man was admitted for a week at the hospital, until March 7. His daughter-in-law came down on March 7, and spent a week with him. On March 23, he developed symptoms including dry cough, and was brought in for treatment.
“It’s possible the daughter-in-law was a carrier while she herself had no symptoms. It is also possible he contracted it from someone in that private hospital,” a senior corporation official said.
A total of 29 of his contacts -- including a cook, a driver, two nurses, his manager and their families -- have been home quarantined after contact-tracing. Despite his cardiac issues, he is currently stable, said officials. Following this development, corporation officials have taken up containment measures in the area. People living in the area will be checked for symptoms once every three days, officials said.