Telangana health officials to track 80 people after man tests positive for coronavirus

Hours after it was confirmed that a person has tested positive for coronavirus in Hyderabad, Telangana Health Minister Etela Rajendar on Monday (March 2) said that state health department officials are tracking 80 people with whom the affected person has come in contact with since he came to Hyderabad on February 22.

Giving alarming details of this case, Rajendar informed the 24-year-old software professional originally hailing from Mahendra Hills area of Secunderabad had gone to Dubai from his Bengaluru-based office and he developed symptoms associated with coronavirus after returning to Hyderabad.

"First the patient went to Apollo hospital in Secunderabad when he came from Bengaluru and when the condition worsened, he came to government Gandhi hospital yesterday at 5 pm and after we ran tests, the sample of which was sent to Pune national institute of virology, it was confirmed today afternoon that this youngster has covid-19. Presently, he is in isolation ward at government Gandhi hospital in Hyderabad and is being monitored continuously. Also, he is stable at present," said the health minister.

But the challenge for Telangana health officials is much bigger as they will have to mobilise huge resources to monitor all the 80 people which include the patient's family members, the passengers of bus in which he travelled from Bengaluru to Hyderabad, and the staff of Apollo hospitals with whom this patient had come in contact with.

"We also contacted his Bengaluru office where he came directly from Dubai wherein we suspect he may have contracted the disease from Hong Kong-based colleagues who were also there with him", added the minister.

Another shocking fact which has come to light is that the infected person was not screened at Bengaluru airport when he arrived from Dubai as UAE was not in the screening list of countries for coronavirus.

The Telangana government has also announced that there is no need of panic as various government departments are on extra vigil in view of this first case in the state.