Hoshiarpur man’s minor son, wife test negative

AMRITSAR: The blood and swab samples of the teenager coronavirus patient sent to National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, five days ago has been found negative. However, his father has been declared positive for the virus by the institute.

The patients, a 44-year-old man and his 15-year-old son, had returned from Italy and were admitted to the isolation ward of Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, Amritsar, as soon as they reached Amritsar on March 4. The two had tested positive for the virus in preliminary tests.

PRELIMINARY COVID-19 TEST AT AMRITSAR MEDICAL COLLEGE

A team of doctors of the microbiology department of the medical college led by head of department (HOD) Dr Raveena had conducted the preliminary “E-gene” test of the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) at the “swine flu influenza lab”, on the swab samples of three other suspected patients who were admitted to the isolation ward of Guru Nanak Dev Hospital on Sunday.

“Samples belong to a couple from Australia and a man with a Dubai travel history. They showed symptoms of coronavirus at Shri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport on Sunday. The samples have been sent to NIV, Pune,” said GMC principal Dr Sujata Sharma.

“Even after GMC Amritsar gets the authority to conduct the preliminary tests, we will send the samples of the patients to NIV for final confirmation. The local testing gives us the advantage of taking precautions early as till now the report used to come from Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL), Delhi,” Dr Sharma added.

Health officials conducted a seminar on Monday for police personnel.

PLACEMENT FAIRS POSTPONED

Amritsar and Tarn Taran administrations have postponed the placement fairs as a precautionary measure, officials said. Under the ‘Ghar-Ghar Rozgar Yojna’ of the Punjab government, placement fairs were to be held on March 12 and 13.

SPECIAL MEDICAL CELL FOR FOREIGN TOURISTS AT ANANDPUR SAHIB

Rupnagar district administration has set up a special medical cell at Bhai Jaitaji civil hospital in Anandpur Sahib for examination of foreign tourists visiting the town for Hola Mohalla. They will have to report at Anandpur Sahib police station.

THE 44-YEAR-OLD AND HIS SON HAD RETURNED FROM ITALY AND WERE ADMITTED TO ISOLATION WARD OF GURU NANAK DEV HOSPITAL IN AMRITSAR ON MARCH 4