The Hassan district administration is worried as four patients, who were found positive to the COVID-19 infection on May 12, remained infected even 12 days after they were hospitalised.

Five people, who had returned from Mumbai, were shifted to hospital and treatment began. They were all asymptomatic. Among them, four have tested positive again, showing no sign of recovery. As per the protocol for treatment, if the two samples taken in a gap of 24 hours after 12 days of isolation tested negative they could be discharged.

Deputy Commissioner R. Girish said here on Wednesday that four among the five tested positive again. “Another person’s first sample tested negative, the result of the second sample is awaited. Hence, so far nobody has been discharged from the hospital in Hassan”, he said.

So far 136 have tested positive in the district.

The officer said the administration had constituted a team of expert doctors to look into the cases. “We will bring the issue to the notice of expert panels”, he said.

Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs J.C. Madhuswamy, who is also Minister in-charge of the district, said it would be a serious issue. “There were reports that the incubation period could not be more than 14 days. But, here people test positive even after 14 days”, he said.