PUNJAB’S FIRST CASES OF VIRUS RE-INFECTION RAISE WORRIES

PATIALA: In first cases of re-infection in Punjab, a 48-year-old woman and her daughter (27) tested positive for Covid-19 in Patiala, nearly two months after their recovery from the disease.

The two, who are class 4 employees in separate branches of the State Bank of India (SBI), live in Patiala’s Guru Teg Bahadur Colony. They were tested positive in May but none of their other family member was infected then.

Later, both of them discharged from hospital after recovery. They tested positive for Covid-19 again a few days ago.

A health official said, “It could be due to non-development of antibodies in patients who recovered from virus. Still it is a serious issue. If the patients started getting re-infected, it will be difficult for the government to control it. The government needs to work on it with immediate attention.”

The health department is yet to check whether the patients had developed antibodies or not.

District epidemiologist Dr Sumeet Singh said, “We have informed the state government about the re-infected patients. We couldn’t find their source of infection both times as it is difficult to trace it in every case.”

State Covid - 19 nodal officer Dr Rajesh Bhaskar said, “There is no such patient in the state who has been re-infected with Covid-19. The Patiala woman- daughter’s case is yet to be confirmed.”