A 25-year-old junior resident doctor of the King George Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) after coming in contact with two patients undergoing treatment for the disease on its premises, a hospital spokesperson said on Wednesday.
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The KGMU subsequently, in a statement, announced suspension of all undergraduate academic classes and examinations till April 2 as a preventive measure to stem the spread of COVID-19.
The doctor has been kept in an isolation ward and is undergoing treatment, the spokesperson said.
“A woman from Canada and one of her relatives, who came in contact with her, are undergoing treatment for COVID-19 at an isolation ward of the KGMU.
“A 25-year-old junior resident doctor had taken the samples of these patients. Suddenly, some symptoms were seen in him and he was tested at the university laboratory, where he was found positive for coronavirus affliction,” the KGMU spokesperson, Dr. Sudhir Singh told PTI.
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“The resident doctor has been kept in an isolation ward and is undergoing treatment,” he said.
Mr. Singh said 14 other people working in the isolation ward were also tested and they were found negative for the affliction.
“The junior resident doctor is being treated, and he is fine. The other two coronavirus patients admitted in KGMU too are recuperating,” he said.
In a statement, KGMU Registrar Ashutosh Kumar Dwivedi later said, “As approved by Vice-Chancellor of King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, all undergraduate (MBBS, BDS, B.Sc. Nursing and Paramedical) classes and examinations have been suspended till April 2 as a preventive measure to avoid the spread of coronavirus.”
Dr. Vikasendu Agrawal, the joint director-cum-State surveillance officer of the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) in a statement said, “As on March 17, total number of samples found positive is 15 (Agra-8, Ghaziabad-2, NOIDA-3, Lucknow -2). Three have been declared recovered.”
Meanwhile, students of classes one to eight of all government primary schools in Uttar Pradesh will get promoted without having to appear in examinations in view of the coronavirus outbreak, an official said on Wednesday.
Examinations in primary schools were scheduled between March 23 and 28.
“Orders have been issued to promote all students, studying in schools run by the Basic Education Department, of class one to eight to next classes without examination. All schools have been closed till April 2,” Additional Chief Secretary (Education) Renuka Kumar said in a order issued on Tuesday night.
The State government on Tuesday extended the closure of all educational institutions, cinemas, mulitplexes and tourists places in the State till April 2 and implemented work-from-home protocol to the extent possible to contain the coronavirus spread.
Competitive and other examinations too have been postponed till April 2.
