Admin clueless how Amt victim contracted virus

TNN | Apr 6, 2020, 04:15 IST

Amravati: The district administration here is groping in the dark about the source from where the city’s first novel coronavirus (Covid-19) victim, who died of pneumonia on April 2, had contracted the virus.
Acting on a war footing, the health officials on Sunday collected 59 throat swab samples and quarantined 518 persons. The administration is also awaiting test reports of 25 others, including relatives and close contacts of the first victim. In all, 103 test reports are being awaited.
Hathipura locality, where the deceased resided, remained sealed for the second successive day on Sunday. Shops did not open and residents too were not allowed to come out of their homes even after municipal squads sanitized the entire locality.
Collector Shailesh Naval told TOI, “Though no new cases have been detected after April 3, test reports of the 25 persons close to the deceased and that of 10-12 persons whom the victim had met while in Badnera may throw some light on the source of the infection.”
“People and relatives close to the victim are not sharing information,” said Naval.
As Amravati victim had no travel history for last six months, his contracting the virus in the city means that the source is here and out of the reach of the health administration.
Naval ruled out the possibility of the victim coming in contact with Haiderpura person who tested positive in Meerut. “Both are different cases. Two sons of the Meerut patient have tested negative, which establishes the fact that he contracted the virus during his train journey from here to Meerut,” said the collector.
Meanwhile, residents allegedly abused and manhandled cops on Badnera mini-bypass on Sunday morning when they stopped an autorickshaw near Almas gate point in Old City during curfew period. Later, Rapid Action Force personnel undertook a route march. Police have booked auto driver Kallu, his son and some others.
In last one week, the administration had screened 1,914 persons and sent 130 samples for testing. Till date, 3,659 persons have been screened and 208 swab samples have been sent for examination. Of these, 93 reports came negative.