Manipur on Tuesday recorded the state and the northeast region’s first Covid-19 case after a woman student who returned from London last week tested positive for the coronavirus disease.
Test conducted on the throat and nasal swabs of the student at Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) at Imphal in Manipur showed that she was positive for Sars-Cov-2 infection.
“The first coronavirus case has been confirmed in Manipur. The patient is a 23-year-old lady who was studying in the UK and returned to Imphal on an Air Asia flight on March 21,” Manipur health minister L Jayantakumar Singh said while speaking to HT.
The patient showed signs of illness on March 22, a day after she arrived in Manipur. Her samples were collected on Monday and the results announced early on Tuesday morning.
The minister said that the patient’s younger brother, who is studying in the US and had returned to the state last week, is also suffering from fever and has other symptoms of Covid-19. His test results are awaited.
“Both of them are kept at isolation wards in JNIMS. Till now the condition of the girl is fine but she has symptoms like sneezing and fever. Otherwise, she is fine and healthy and nothing to be worried about,” Singh said.
He said passengers who were on the same flight as the patient have been contacted, listed out and questioned about their travel history.
“Everything that is needed to be done as per procedure has been done by the state government. Till now we have tested 22 cases including the confirmed patient and her brother and only one result has come positive,” added Singh.
There are 471 Covid-19 patients across India and the respiratory illness has killed nine people so far, the Centre has said.
