London-returnee tests positive for coronavirus in Andhra Pradesh, count now seven
KAKINADA/GUNTUR/ELURU/VISAKHAPATNAM/TIRUPATI/KURNOOL: One more Covid-19 positive case was reported from Visakhapatnam on Monday, taking the total number of cases to seven. The patient is a 25-year-old native of Vizag, who returned from Birmingham, UK, to New Delhi and from there to the Port City on March 17. According to the medical bulletin issued by the government, he travelled to his residence in Thagarapuvalasa by car with his father.
He developed corona symptoms on March 19 and visited the Gayatri Vidya Parishad on March 21 along with his parents for a check up. He was referred to the Chest Hospital where he was admitted the same day and his samples were taken.
Meanwhile, eighteen more persons with Covid-19 symptoms were admitted to the Government General Hospitals in Kakinada, Guntur, Eluru, Visakhapatnam, and Chittoor districts on Monday.
Eight suspected patients were admitted to the isolation wards at Kakinada General Hospital. Samples of all of them were collected and sent for testing. Two of them are from Kesavaram, one from Vetlapalem and the rest from Kakinada. Except one person, all of them returned from abroad between March 8 and 18.
A 45-year-old woman from Kesavaram in East Godavari district returned from Muscut one month ago. She developed symptoms of Covid-19 and was shifted to Kakinada GGH on Monday by her relatives.
Another woman aged 30, also from Kesavaram, returned from Dubai on March 8. She too was suffering from cold and cough and was admitted to Kakinada GGH on Monday. A 42-year-old man from Vetlapalem, who also returned on March 8 from Dubai, was admitted with coranavirus symptoms.
Doctors said of the five cases that were admitted to the GGH from Kakinada city on Monday, a 33-year-old man returned from Canada on March 10, a 38-year-old man and woman aged 29 returned to Kakinada from Amsterdam on March 13. A 20-year-old youth returned from Paris on March 14 and a 23-year-old man returned from London on March 18.
Meanwhile, in Guntur, four people got themselves admitted to Chest Hospital on Monday with complaints of cold and cough. Though there was no travel history to any foreign country, hospital authorities put them in the isolation ward and sent their samples for testing. Among them, a 26-year-old man is from Kadapa, a 22-year-old youth is from Uttar Pradesh, a 52-year-old man from Kondepi in Prakam district and another man from Mangaldas Nagara in Guntur district.
Three persons with coronavirus symptoms were admitted to the isolation ward at Eluru GGH on Monday.A woman among the three patients had returned from New York to her native village of Korumamidi in Nidadavolu mandal through Dubai, Hyderabad, and Rajamahendravaram. According to officials, she has travelled along with a person, who tested positive, from Dubai to Hyderabad. For the past two days, she was suffering from fever, cold and cough.
Another one among those three patients had returned from Dubai to Hyderabad and from there to his native village of Manchili in Tanuku mandal of West Godavari district. He too was suffering from COVID-19 symptoms for the past two days. The last among the three came from Muscut to his village of Irgavaram via Hyderabad. He was suffering from cold and cough since March 18.
Two more suspect cases were admitted to Chest Hospital in Visakhapatnam on Monday. A young man in his twenties returned from the UK and was suffering from cold and fever. His mother was also suffering from the same symptoms. Both were admitted to the isolation ward and their samples were sent for testing.
In Kurnool, one more suspected case was admitted to Kurnool Government General Hospital on Monday. A 27-year-old engineering scholar from Germany was admitted with coronavirus symptoms. He returned from Germany on March 11 and for the past few days was suffering from cold and cough. Throat swab was taken from him and sent for testing.
Meanwhile, Nandyal government hospital doctors conducted medical tests on 19 people from various villages in Nandyal mandal, who returned after an excursion to other States, on Monday. Though all of them are healthy, as a precautionary measure, medical tests were conducted and they were advised to be in-home isolation for next 14 days.
In Kadapa district, a 28-year-old from Peddaputta village of Vallur mandal, who was suffering from cold and cough, was brought to Kamalapuram PHC. He is a software engineer working in Bengaluru and returned home three days ago. His family members took him to Kamalapruam PHC, where tests were conducted and he was diagnosed to be suffering from viral fever. However, he has advised home isolation for 14 days.
Health Minister visits KGGH
Health Minister Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas (Alla Nani) visited Kakinada GGH on Monday and took stock of the situation. Speaking to mediaperosns, he said on the directions of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, he was visiting the districts, where positive covid cases were reported, and reviewing the measures initiated.
“There is a need for taking more precautionary measures in the districts where positive cases were reported and people should be on high alert. The spread of coronavirus can be contained only with public cooperation, ” he said and urged people to stay indoors.
He said the health condition of the six positive cases reported in the State was stable and explained that coronavirus in the State was in second stage and efforts are being made to prevent it from entering the third phase. Elaborating on the measures being taken, he said a 100-bed isolation ward being set-up for each constituency. 108 emergency staff are being equipped with modern equipment and protective gear. He maintained that compared to other States, Andhra Pradesh fares better. At the same time, he stressed the need of people maintaining social distance. He warned those who try to take advantage of the lockdown to hike prices of essentials and said such people will not be spared.