8 PATIENTS, INCLUDING 2 POSITIVE IN AP

Four persons are being treated in an isolation ward in the Government General Hospital here, even as three others, whose reports came as tested negative for Coronavirus

(Covid-19) were discharged on Sunday night. According to sources, seven persons who came from Qatar, Dubai, Malaysia and other countries were admitted and are being treated for past three to four days.

The condition of one of the three located in the isolation ward, a 38-year old woman, was described as ‘serious’ though her reports are yet to be come from the National Institute of Virology, Pune. The woman was admitted in the pre-dawn hours of Saturday and her condition is critical. She came to her native place, Antarvedi, from Dubai. The doctors suspect she is suffering from meningitis based on her symptoms. But her

Covid-19 tests results are still awaited.

Dr M. Raghavendra Rao, superintendent, GGH, Kakinada said that reports of three persons were found to be negative. Initially test samples were sent to Vijayawada, where a new lab has been set up recently by the government, he said. But as per procedure, all samples were sent to Pune for a confirmation test.

He said that discharged persons should not move out from their houses for some more days. He said that people need not panic over he Covid-19 as all arrangements have been made for giving treatment and preventing further spread.

Meanwhile, a mock-drill conducted on Sunday by medical and health officials regarding

Covid-19 created a panic among the people. Medical officials, paramedics and common people in the area participated in the mock drill near Danavaipet in Rajahmundry, D. Kesavaram near Kondagunturu in Rajangaram mandal, Ulapalli in Bikkavole mandal, Mattaladoddi near Devarapalli and other areas, where suspected cases of

Covid-19 were reported from. People of Rajahmundry however had a panic, especially when rumours spread that a Danvaipet youth, working as a software engineer, who recently returned from Malaysia , was tested positive for Covid19. This fake news spread rapidly on social media.

District immunissation officer Dr Mallik said that mock drills were conducted 10 days ago in several places in the district. Currently, 631 persons are in self-quarantine at home in the district, he said.

In the West Godavari district, officials said that 75 persons who returned from Italy on February 29 in four phases. Due to increasing number of Covid cases in Italy, all the returnees have been kept in house isolation for 14 days.