Coronavirus: Officials fear AP's first positive case of COVID-19 is in Nellore

Andhra Pradesh health authorities are suspecting a 24-year-old man as the state's first coronavirus positive case.

The man returned from Italy, the badly affected European nation, two weeks back. He has joined the Nellore government general hospital with COVID-19 symptoms a few days back and is presently under treatment in an isolation ward.

An initial test conducted at the Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences, Tirupati showed him as infected with COVID-19.

“Unfortunately, he could be our first positive case. We are awaiting the retest results of his sample sent to NIV Pune. As of now we can say that it is provisionally confirmed,” Dr P V Ramesh, additional chief secretary, coordinating the state’s anti-Coronavirus efforts from the CMO, told DH.

Andhra Pradesh health authorities are in search of 131 people out of a total 661 persons with a travel history to the Covid-19 affected nations. Rest 530 were put under observation, 10 of them presently in hospital isolation.

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The Wednesday night Coronavirus bulletin showed the number of positive cases as zero and that results as awaited of four patients.

Officials are warning those who have arrived from the Coronavirus affected countries to remain under strict home isolation for 28 days from the date of their arrival in India, “irrespective of whether showing symptoms or not.”

The state has notified the District Collectors as district nodal officers for taking measures towards containment and surveillance of COVID-19.

Meanwhile, in Telangana, health minister Etela Rajender said that the Dubai returned 24-year-old techie – the first and only positive case in the state till now – would be discharged from the hospital soon, as his samples tested negative twice.

Telangana health department said that in addition to the Coronavirus testing lab at the Gandhi hospital, the centre has approved four more labs for the state – three in Hyderabad and one in the Kakatiya Medical College in Warangal.