91-year-old Chandigarh woman tests negative within 24 hours of testing positive for Covid-19
First test was done by a private hospital lab, following which PGIMER, Chandigarh, tested another sample, which returned negative results
The 91-year-old woman, who was found Covid-19 positive at a Mohali hospital on Thursday, tested negative within 24 hours of the first result.
The elderly was found infected after she was admitted for a medical procedure at Max Hospital in Mohali.
She was tested at one of the labs of the hospital. However, the second sample sent to Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, returned negative results.
Officials said the samples were examined carefully as the case was reported positive by a private hospital.
UT health secretary Arun Kumar Gupta said the woman will not be tested again, but had been advised strict home isolation.
“PGIMER report should be treated as final, and at most, she may be advised to isolate herself at her house and watch out for symptoms. Asymptomatic positive patients are advised the same protocol,” he said
Max Hospital said they will issue a detailed statement on the issue on Saturday.
Three family members and two community contacts of the elderly woman, who were quarantined at Government Multi-Specialty Hospital, Sector 16, were also found negative.
NO NEW CASE
Meanwhile, the city reported no new positive case after 12 days. It was on May 17 last when no new case surfaced.
With this, the count of Covid-19 cases in the city remains 288, out of which 95 are active and rest 189 are discharged. Four patients have died due to the virus.
In the daily review meeting, UT administrator VP Singh Badnore specifically directed that necessary preparations should be made to fight water and air-borne diseases, which are likely to come in monsoon.
“The administrator has desired that regular health programmes of vaccination, tuberculosis and dengue should be continued in all dispensaries, and adequate stock of blood should be kept by holding blood donation camps regularly,” the official spokesperson said.
Health secretary Arun Kumar Gupta said 116 persons had arrived in Chandigarh from abroad, out of which 29 were sent home after necessary testing. Similarly, 281 domestic flyers had also arrived in Chandigarh and advised to do self-monitoring at home as per the central guidelines.
UT adviser Manoj Parida said the administration was ready with 3,000 beds to accommodate patients of both mild and serious categories.