Covid19: Telangana reports first case of secondary transmission, count up to 21
Secondary transmissions of the disease has posed a real threat, challenging the government’s efforts in containing the disease
Hyderabad: Fears over spread of Coronavirus infections in Telangana became all too real on Saturday with the State Government announcing that the first case of a secondary infection - Covid19 disease passed from an original carrier who arrived in the city from abroad to a local person with no international travel history.
The government announced two fresh cases of Covid19 in Telangana, including the secondary infection, taking the disease hit persons tally up to 21.
Till Friday, the State Government has been trying to reassure people that Telangana was free of local transmission of Covid19 and that all cases till Friday, were of people who contracted the disease while in another country and brought the Coronavirus to the state with them.
This changed on Saturday making secondary transmissions of the disease a real threat that could pose a severe challenge to the government’s efforts in containing the disease from spreading further.
According to a media bulletin released on Saturday afternoon, the secondary contact confirmed as Patient no. 20, is a 35-year-old male from the city. This man was among the primary contacts of Patient no. 14, who was confirmed as having the disease on March 19.
Patient 14 had reached Hyderabad from Dubai on March 14 and developed Covid19 symptoms on March 17. The government had on March 19, announcing that the man from Dubai tested positive for the disease, said that all his contacts were traced and placed under home quarantine. It had also said that details of passengers who were on the same flight to Hyderabad with Patient 14 were awaited.
There has been no update since March 19 on the number of passengers on board that plane or how many were placed under quarantine and how many of them have been tested for the disease.
The second patient confirmed for Covid19 on Saturday is a 33-year-old male who works for MSC Cruises on board MSC Bellissima, a cruise ship owned by the company. The government did not announce when this man came to the city but said he was confirmed as Covid19 positive on Saturday.