Hyderabad, (Samajweekly) Health officials in Telangana’s Ranga Reddy district were trying to trace the contacts of a woman who tested positive after her death.
The 55-year-old woman, who was running a kirana (provisions) shop in Chegur village, near Hyderabad, died on April 1 at the government-run Osmania Hospital in the city. The next day she was cremated in the village.
However, the samples collected during her treatment at the hospital later showed she was Covid-19 positive. It was only on Friday that the health department declared she tested positive.
The news sent the village into a tizzy. About 30 teams of health officials, revenue and police swung into action to screen the villagers.
Telangana has so far reported death of nine persons due to covid-19. Barring this woman, all others had attended the Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi last month.
Ranga Reddy District Collector Amoy Kumar, Cyberabad Police Commissioner V. C. Sajjanar and other senior officials visited Manikyamma alias Bharatamma’s house.
Officials said the woman had first approached a private hospital in Shadnagar on March 31 but the hospital referred her to the Osmania Hospital in Hyderabad.
Her family members and tenants were sent to district quarantine facility. Those who attended the funeral were sent to the Gandhi Hospital for screening.
Four youths staying on rent in Bharatamma’s house had recently returned from Delhi to Hyderabad by Sampark Kranti Express. Officials suspect that the youth, including three from Bihar may have travelled in the train which was also carrying those returning from the Tablighi Jamaat meeting in Delhi.
Medical teams were going door-to-door to conduct screening of the villagers. People were advised to be in self-quarantine for 14 days.
The health workers also sprayed disinfectants in the village.
