Super-spreader fears emerge as Dhanbad doc, family test positive for Covid

Dhanbad: A medical officer posted at a primary health center (PHC) at Nirsa area Dhanbad tested positive for Covid-19 along with seven family members — his wife, two daughters, son, mother-in-law and two sisters in-law — on Tuesday night.
While the eight have been admitted to the dedicated Covid hospital at Jagjivan Nagar here, there are fears that the family could turn out to be super-spreaders among health workers and patients, employees of a private bank and several others in the coal town.
The doctor met 150 persons at the PHC and regularly attended the district health review meetings in Dhanbad. The doctor, who had returned from Kolkata with his children on June 18, also treated a few patients at a private clinic here after his return. The samples of more than 35 PHC staff, including doctors, nurses, ward boy and sanitation workers, have been collected for coronavirus tests. The doctor had also attended a small party at his in-law’s place in Jharia with about 50 others.
The office of a private bank in Kolakusma area in Dhanbad was also closed for sanitization as the doctor’s daughter attended office here. Bank employees have asked the administration to test them for infection. That doctor’s son had also been frequenting the markets and came into contact with several people.
Dhanbad deputy commissioner Amit Kumar said: “We are tracing the contacts of the doctor and his family members and have come up with a big list of the people they came in contact with. Sample of over 35-40 persons have been collected in Nirsa and we will take the sample of every suspected case.”
As of Wednesday morning, Dhanbad had recorded 122 cases of coronavirus. Of these 13 are active while 109 have recovered.