Ramganj patient infects 10 relatives

JAIPUR: The coronavirus positive man from Jaipur’s Ramganj area has turned out to be a ‘superspreader’ transmitting the virus to at least 10 family members and sparking fears of community transmission.

The 45-year-old Ramganj resident in Jaipur’s old city had tested positive for Covid-19 on March 26.

Dr Narrot t a m S har ma, CMHO, Jaipur I, said around 75 people who had come in contact with the infected man are under quarantine. While 58 people have been quarantined at the Rajasthan University of Health Sciences, another 16 have been quarantined at NIMS hospital on the Jaipur-delhi highway.

Prior to this, from March 2 to March 29, there were only 10 positive cases in Jaipur. But with the Ramganj cases coming to light, the tally doubled to 20 on March 30.

The health department is on alert and is doing intensive contact tracing and is appealing to people to stay home. The department officials are emphasising that people should not move out of their homes or else the virus could spread in the city.

Dr Sharma said screening was being carried out twice in the entire Ramganj area.

However, some health workers complained that residents were not cooperating with health department workers.

Dr Sharma said a list of 150 people with whom the man was in touch have been identified and are being traced. The department has an onerous task at hand as these 150 people would have, in turn, interacted with many other people and whether they can all be traced is a moot question. He appealed that those who had come in contact with the man should come forward for screening themselves.

Curfew remains in the walled city areas and fire engines are spraying sodium hypochlorite solution in the areas to sanitise them.

The man had returned from Oman via Dubai. He reached Delhi on March 12 and took a state roadways bus to Jaipur. He got off at Ghat Gate and took a rickshaw to his home.

Health department officials claim he was in home quarantine from March 12 to March 24. On March 24, he developed symptoms of coronavirus and was taken to SMS hospital where his samples were taken and he tested positive for COVID-19.

Whil e c u r f e w h a s b e e n imposed in Ramganj area since March 26, the health department officials undertook intensive contact tracing to find out all those who had been in touch with the man. He is also said to have offered prayers at a mosque near his house, which is a further cause of concern for the health department officials.