Tamil Nadu recorded its second positive case of coronavirus disease, COVID-19, on March 18. A 20-year-old youth, who had travelled from Delhi to Chennai in a train, tested positive for COVID-19 and is already in the isolation ward of Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH).
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Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar, in a tweet, said the patient was in isolation and his condition was stable. He is under the observation of an expert team.
Health officials said the youth was a resident of Uttar Pradesh and worked in a salon. He had reached Chennai on March 12. He was staying with a friend in the city and was in search of a job.
He approached the RGGGH on March 16 with symptoms of fever, cough and sore throat and was admitted to the isolation ward. His nasal, throat swabs and blood samples were lifted and sent for testing to the King Institute of Preventive Medicine, Guindy.
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“However, the result on the first sample was inconclusive. So, we tested a second sample at King Institute and it turned out to be positive,” an official said. He added that the patient had no travel history to any of the affected countries, but had travelled in a train for two days from Delhi to reach Chennai.
The department is now tracing all persons with whom he had come in contact with. The government will also reach out to the Delhi government to trace his contact history there.
Health Secretary Beela Rajesh said they are now looking at factors including the places he had worked, or if he had come in contact with any foreigner. “He could have come in contact with someone who was infected. Uttar Pradesh shares border with Nepal, and this should also be taken into account,” she said.
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