Techie Positive For Coronavirus In Telangana Travelled In Bus From Bengaluru; Fellow Passengers, Family Under Watch

The 24-year-old techie who was found positive for the coronavirus in Telangana had travelled from Bengaluru to Hyderabad in a bus and authorities now fear that his fellow bus passengers might have contracted the disease.

The man is one of two people recently found positive for the CoVid-19 in India.

Telangana Health Minister Etela Rajender, on Monday (2 March) confirmed that the software engineer with a Bengaluru-based company had been found positive for the virus. He further informed that the government was tracing his fellow bus passengers and putting them under observation.

“He initially stayed in the Mahendrahills area of Hyderabad and was later admitted to Apollo Hospital. Yesterday evening, he was referred to the Gandhi Hospital where he was found positive for CoVid-19. Later, a separate report from a lab in Pune confirmed that he was infected by coronavirus,” Rajender said.

The techie, a native of Hyderabad, who recently returned from Dubai, is currently undergoing treatment at the government-run Gandhi Hospital here. His condition is stated to be stable.

The Health Minister also said the man was suspected to have picked up the virus in Dubai, where he came in contact with some company representatives from Hong Kong. After returning from Dubai, he spent two days in Bengaluru, meeting company employees and others.

After reaching Hyderabad by bus, he approached a private hospital with fever and flu like symptoms. He continued his treatment as an outpatient for five days and was subsequently admitted there. As there was no improvement in his condition, he came to Gandhi Hospital on March 1.

The minister said his samples were sent to National Institute of Virology, Pune and they tested positive for COVID-19.

About 80 people are believed to have come into contact with the techie since his return. These include his eight family members, 42 staffers at the private hospital including doctors, paramedical staffers and front office personnel and 27 bus passengers.

The family members of the techie were brought to Gandhi Hospital and kept in isolation ward. The staffers at the private hospitals were also advised to undergo all tests.

Rajender also said it was for authorities in Karnataka to identify the people he came in contact during his travel from Dubai to Bengaluru and also during his stay in Bengaluru.