COIMBATORE: With four people from an apartment at R S Puram testing positive for the novel coronavirus, a new Covid-19 cluster emerged in the city on Sunday.
While three belong to the same family, the fourth person is a close friend of the family.
Two of the four people who tested positive flew into the city from New Delhi on March 24. A few Tablighi Jamaat delegates also travelled in the flight, according to the public health department.
However, one of their family members, who did not fly with them, died recently of cardiac arrest after showing typical Covid-19 symptoms including cough, fever and diaorrhea. However, he did not go to hospital for treatment and was thus not tested, officials from the health department said.
Health department officials say that two of the people who tested positive include a 25-year-old girl and her 56-year-old mother. They travelled in the Indigo flight from New Delhi to Coimbatore on March 24. The girl’s uncle also tested positive. However, they had no symptoms. “However, it was the girl's father, a 52-year-old man who developed a mild cough on April 5, which became a fever and diaorrhea over the next two days. Though GKNM advised him to go to ESI Hospital on April 7, he didn’t because he was too weak and died in the house on April 8. Thus, he was not tested," said deputy director of public health, Dr G Ramesh Kumar.
After the man's death, his family contacted the Covid-19 helpline on April 9 and got tested on April 10. The results of their test came on Saturday. “Our health department team is moving them to PSG hospitals, because it is their preference,” he said. “We are also enquiring if the deceased had any other comorbid conditions like diabetes and hypertension,” he added.
The health department is working on tracing all the contacts of the deceased and contacts the four positive members since March 24. All the residents in the apartment building and people who attended the funeral on April 8 are also being tested. A couple of families who attended the funeral and met the positive patients have already voluntarily contacted the health department and offered to get tested.
Residents of the street say the apartment building is five-storeyed with 30 to 32 apartments. Even assuming each apartment has an average of four people, the health department has to test around 120 people plus security and maids. “Additionally, we are tracing everyone who attended the deceased’s funeral at Isha crematorium. While family said only 12 to 14 people attended, a few neighbours say 30 people attended the funeral,” said Dr Ramesh Kumar. “We are investigating that and will start containment measures around that area once the state government clears it,” he added.
While three belong to the same family, the fourth person is a close friend of the family.
Two of the four people who tested positive flew into the city from New Delhi on March 24. A few Tablighi Jamaat delegates also travelled in the flight, according to the public health department.
However, one of their family members, who did not fly with them, died recently of cardiac arrest after showing typical Covid-19 symptoms including cough, fever and diaorrhea. However, he did not go to hospital for treatment and was thus not tested, officials from the health department said.
Health department officials say that two of the people who tested positive include a 25-year-old girl and her 56-year-old mother. They travelled in the Indigo flight from New Delhi to Coimbatore on March 24. The girl’s uncle also tested positive. However, they had no symptoms. “However, it was the girl's father, a 52-year-old man who developed a mild cough on April 5, which became a fever and diaorrhea over the next two days. Though GKNM advised him to go to ESI Hospital on April 7, he didn’t because he was too weak and died in the house on April 8. Thus, he was not tested," said deputy director of public health, Dr G Ramesh Kumar.
After the man's death, his family contacted the Covid-19 helpline on April 9 and got tested on April 10. The results of their test came on Saturday. “Our health department team is moving them to PSG hospitals, because it is their preference,” he said. “We are also enquiring if the deceased had any other comorbid conditions like diabetes and hypertension,” he added.
The health department is working on tracing all the contacts of the deceased and contacts the four positive members since March 24. All the residents in the apartment building and people who attended the funeral on April 8 are also being tested. A couple of families who attended the funeral and met the positive patients have already voluntarily contacted the health department and offered to get tested.
Residents of the street say the apartment building is five-storeyed with 30 to 32 apartments. Even assuming each apartment has an average of four people, the health department has to test around 120 people plus security and maids. “Additionally, we are tracing everyone who attended the deceased’s funeral at Isha crematorium. While family said only 12 to 14 people attended, a few neighbours say 30 people attended the funeral,” said Dr Ramesh Kumar. “We are investigating that and will start containment measures around that area once the state government clears it,” he added.
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