4-month-old tests positive for Covid-19 in UP’s Basti

GORAKHPUR: A four-month-old baby from eastern Uttar Pradesh (UP)’s Basti district tested positive for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) on Sunday, an official said. The case is believed to have a connection with a 25-year-old grocer from Basti, who was the first Covid-19 related fatality from UP on March 31. Basti district has reported 14 Covid-19 positive cases to date.

“According to test reports, obtained from Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College in Gorakhpur, a four-month-old baby has tested Covid-19 positive. His parents are under quarantine, as their test reports are still awaited,” said Ashutosh Niranjan, district magistrate, Basti. The baby is a resident of Milat Nagar, one of the two hotspots in Basti district.

On Sunday, four new Covid-19 positive cases -- linked to the grocer -- came to light. “Four swab samples tested Covid-19 positive at BRD Medical College. The tests are being conducted under the supervision of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR),” said Dr Fakhriar Hussain, additional chief medical officer (ACMO), Gorakhpur, and the nodal officer for Covid-19 cases in the district.

The grocer had no known travel history. He was suffering for renal and lung disorders and was undergoing treatment at a local hospital in Basti district for the past three months. He was admitted to BRD Medical College on March 30 in a serious condition and he died at the hospital the following morning. His swab samples tested Covid-19 positive after his death.