The Department of Microbiology at the Government Medical College in Anantapur received swab samples of 365 suspected COVID-19 cases on Thursday — the highest in a single day so far — ever since a laboratory began functioning here as a COVID-19 testing centre from March 24.
The laboratory has received 725 samples so far, of which 182 are from Anantapur district and the remaining from Kurnool, Prakasam and Kadapa districts. From Kurnool, 271 samples of persons who returned from the Tablighi Jamaat meeting in Nizamuddin were sent on Thursday. Seventy samples were sent from Ongole. The lab received 199 samples on Wednesday.
In Anantapur district, 233 samples were drawn and 94 of them tested negative. Two samples from Lepakshi tested positive, and the infected persons are being treated at a Hindupur hospital. The results of 137 cases will arrive on Thursday evening, District Medical and Health Officer K.V.N.S. Anil Kumar said.
District officials were unable to trace 123 persons out of 1,015 persons in Anantapur district who had a history of foreign travel after February 10. Police officials said while some phone numbers were defunct, some addresses were wrong or the persons were not residing at the given address. While 169 persons with symptoms were admitted to hospital, 116 of them were discharged while 53 persons were still kept at isolation wards for further observation.
While 237 persons had completed the quarantine/home isolation period of 28 days, 535 persons were in the 15 to 28 days category and only 88 were below 14 days of first date of likely contracting.
