First case of coronavirus in Bengaluru, techie who came from Austin tests positive
Bengaluru(TNM): Karnataka state health officials have confirmed the first positive case of coronavirus disease in the state. A software engineer who returned from America recently has tested positive for the virus. The man in his 40s, who hails from Karnataka, returned to Bengaluru from the USA via Dubai on March 1. He came to India from Austin, Texas.
The man had gone to his workplace for two days before he was admitted to the hospital with symptoms of possible coronavirus disease. He was admitted to Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases in Bengaluru on March 8, where he was placed in isolation and his samples were sent to be tested at the National Institute if Virology in the city. On Monday morning, his lab results returned positive for the virus.
Following this, his wife and daughter have also been admitted to the isolation ward in the hospital. A colleague who travelled with the patient on the same flight has also been quarantined.
Speaking to the media on Monday evening, Dr Sudhakar, Minister of Medical Education, also added that three teams have been formed to conduct contact tracing: one for tracing at the man’s home, another to undertake contact tracing at his workplace, and another who is working on the man’s travel history. Meanwhile, the school in Whitefield where the child studied has closed indefinitely.
Health officials told the media that around 2,666 people have come in primary and secondary contact of the coronavirus patient in Bengaluru and the process to identify them is underway.
According to the Karnataka government, 982 people were identified for observation in the state, of whom 266 people have completed 28 days of observation. A total of 432 samples have been sent for testing of which 364 samples have tested negative. The government is waiting for 68 more results.
Till date 91,911 passengers have been screened in Karnataka. The details of points of entry are as follows.
1. KIA Airport Bengaluru -61,585 passengers cumulative (4155 Screened yesterday)
2. Mangalore International airport-25,003 passengers cumulative. (623 Screened yesterday)
3. Also, 5,323 passengers have been screened at Mangalore and Karwar sea port.
