Coronavirus threat looms over Bengaluru after Hyderabad techie tests positive for COVID-19

The 24-year-old software engineer from Hyderabad, who tested positive for the Coronavirus, works in Bengaluru. The techie stayed in Bengaluru for two days after his return from Dubai and started showing symptoms after he came to visit his family here 10 days back.

The young man, whose identity is unrevealed, had travelled to Dubai for official work on 17 February. He is suspected to have contacted the deadly virus from his Hong Kong colleagues with whom he worked closely there for four days.

Telangana's health minister Eetala Rajender informed that the condition of the person is stable and is undergoing treatment at the Gandhi Hospital. The state-run hospital is the nodal centre for Coronavirus tests with an isolation ward set-up. Tests conducted on all the suspected cases at the facility till now had come negative.

The first Coronavirus positive case in Telangana now has the state health machinery on the alert. The health minister held a review meeting on the situation with officials on Monday, after which he addressed media.

“From Dubai the man flew back to Bengaluru on 20 February and came to Hyderabad on 22 February, where he developed fever. He took treatment at the Apollo Hospital for a few days and came to Gandhi hospital only on Sunday evening. A test here found him positive with Coronavirus,” Eetala said.

The state has on Monday reported the case to the Union Ministry for health and family welfare. A ministry statement later has confirmed a positive case of COVID-19 as detected in Telangana and another from New Delhi.

Telangana health department officials are now in the process of isolating and conducting tests on people who met the Hyderabad techie in the last fortnight.

“The youth is from a joint family in Mahendra Hills (Secunderabad). All the people who came in contact with him like his family, the 27 co-passengers who traveled with him on the Bangalore-Hyderabad bus and the over 20 staff of Apollo Secunderabad would be identified, tested for COVID-19 and kept in observation,” the minister said.

Dubai-Bangalore flight passengers, his co-workers in Bangalore aspects would be dealt by the Karnataka authorities, the minister added.

Meanwhile, Sunitha Krishnan, a noted anti-trafficking activist, who returned from Bangkok is admitted and undergoing tests at the same hospital after she complained of cough etc., symptoms.

Eetala said that COVID-19 awareness campaigns would be held to inform the do’s and don’ts to the people as a precaution. “We have set up isolation wards at the Chest and Fever Hospitals too," he said.

News reports from Tirupati stated a Taiwanese man has been admitted in an isolation ward at the government Ruia Hospital, with severe symptoms of COVID-19. His blood samples are reportedly sent to Gandhi Hospital for tests.