Bihar: First suspected case of Coronavirus reported from Chhapra in Bihar

PATNA: First suspected case of Coronavirus was reported from Chhapra, the headquarters of the Saran district in Bihar. A 29-year-old research scholar who had returned from Tianjin in China was rushed to Patna Medical College and Hospital on Monday and kept in the isolated ward after she developed symptoms similar to Coronavirus.
The suspect, doing PhD in neuroscience, had landed Kolkata on January 22 and next day she reached Chhapra.State health department principal secretary Sanjay Kumar said the woman had 102 F fever and was taken to the government hospital in Chhapra on Sunday night. On Monday morning she was brought to Patna and admitted in PMCH where her sample was collected and sent to a virology lab in Pune.
However, the suspect was adamant over her admission in PMCH and while talking to a section of media denied she had fever or any symptom of Coronavirus and said she was completely fine. But in the form submitted in the virology lab of PMCH, symptoms including breathlessness, fever and cough were marked. This form has signature of the suspect.
State surveillance officer Dr Ragini Mishra, who has been made the state nodal officer, said she got to know about this case from a phone call from suspect’s family. “On Sunday I got a call from her brother who told me she had fever, cold and breathlessness. We immediately arranged a mask for her and sent her to sadar hospital in Chhapra where she was kept in isolation for a night. On Sunday morning she was brought to PMCH,” Mishra said, admitting the suspect was not ready to stay in PMCH and wanted to go back to her home and stay in isolation there.
“But as per the protocol by the Centre, suspects have to be kept in an isolation in a hospital. Her report will most probably come on Wednesday and if it is found to be negative, we will send her back,” added Mishra.
The state health department has also taken her family members under surveillance who will be monitored for next 28 days. However, as of now none of them have developed any symptom.
The Centre has also alerted Bihar about three other students studying in Wuhan in China, of which two are natives of Sitamarhi and one is a native of Muzaffarpur. Mishra informed that of total three, a 22-year-old Sitamarhi student had reached Danapur in Patna on January 19 from Kolkata and was under surveillance. But he has not reported any symptom yet.
“We talked to the family members of another Sitamarhi native who informed us that he will not be coming to India as of now. The one from Muzaffarpur has reached Delhi and will not be coming to Bihar. We are keeping a tab on their movement,” added Ragini.
The state has already sent advisories to all the superintendents and civil surgeons about this disease. It has especially altered the seven neighboring districts of Nepal after one confirmed case was reported from there.