A woman who had visited the Kumbh Mela contracted Covid-19 in the first week of April and ended up infecting 33 more people in Bengaluru, a report by TOI has revealed.
Among those infected by the 67-year-old woman were also 13 psychiatric patients at Spandana Healthcare and Rehabilitation Centre in West Bengaluru.
As per reports, the old woman’s daughter in law who is a psychiatrist with Spandana Healthcare was treating 13 patients when she found out that her mother-in-law had tested positive for Covid-19. She got herself tested a few days later and was found positive as well but with no symptoms.
Upon this revelation, the BBMP officers from Nandini layout took the matter into their own hands and began the process of contact tracing. Spandana Hospital was asked to test all the contacts of the daughter-in-law. Upon testing, 13 of her patients including two staff members were found to be positive.
In all 18 family members of the Kumbh returnee were found to be infected, reported TOI.
A BBMP medical officer from Nandini Layout primary health centre attributed the cause of the spread of the deadly virus to the Kumbh returnee who was admitted to a private hospital and has since then recovered.
Talking to TOI, Dr. Mahesh R Gowda, who heads Spandana said that with nearly 16 patients and staff members testing positive, the hospital had to close a floor and had to be declared a covid facility.
He further added that those infected were treated at the facility itself and displayed mild symptoms which was treated on time before it could be transmitted to more people.
“The psychiatrist was asymptomatic and developed symptoms of Covid later, requiring hospitalization. Our colleague stopped coming to the hospital after her mother-in-law tested positive,”.
As per sources, there are still no concrete details on how many attended the Kumbh Mela and whether they have taken the Covid test upon their return. The experts have however advised the government to continue tracking the returnees to curb the spread of Covid.
The Kumbh Mela Uttarakhand’s Haridwar was held despite an upward trend in Covid-19 cases in different parts of the country and drew global criticism. According to reports, as many as 70 lakh people participated in the religious event in April of this year.
The Uttarakhand High Court also pulled up the state government over its management of the event amid a surge in Covid-19 cases.
Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Telegram.
Comments
0 comment