COVID-19 | 2 new cases in Noida, chances of community transmission increased, says official

Both the patients are stable. One of them is Tamiflu, says medical officer

Men wearing protective masks walk inside the premises of a hospital where a special ward has been set up for the coronavirus disease in Mumbai, Maharashtra on March 17, 2020.

Two new cases of the COVID-19 came to light in Noida on Tuesday. “One of them is a woman resident of Sector 100 and has a travel history of France. The other lives in Sector 78 and is a colleague of the senior executive of a leather factory in Greater Noida, who lives in Delhi, and was tested positive on March 12,” said Anurag Bhargav, Chief Medical Officer, Gautam Buddh Nagar. Both the patients have been admitted to the Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) in Greater Noida.

Mr. Bhargav said it was not unexpected as symptoms take 4 to 14 days to appear. However, in this case, he told The Hindu , the chances of community transmission have increased. “We are taking all possible measures with the help of the district administration. Both the societies which have at least 2,000 residents each are being sanitised. Their contacts and an area of 3 sq. km have been put under surveillance.”

He said not all the residents would be tested. “Only those who are symptomatic would be checked. Rest have been asked to go into self-quarantine,” he said.

Dr. (Brig.) Rakesh Kumar Gupta, Director, GIMS, said both the patients are stable. “They are in their 20s and are expected to recover soon.” On the line of treatment, he said, as there was no specific medicine, physicians are treating them according to symptoms. “One of them is Tamiflu.” He refused to divulge whether the physicians were following the same line of treatment followed by the doctors of the Sawai Man Singh hospital in Jaipur while treating two Italian patients.

District Magistrate B.N. Singh told reporters there was no need to panic. “We have started screening all the families in the two societies. It is important for all the residents to follow the guidelines,” he said.

The Apartment Owners’ Associations (AOA) of the two societies have shut down the common areas and have asked the flat owners not to allow visitors and keep a watch on the support staff.

A training session was conducted for the Noida police by Dr. H.S. Dhanu to spread awareness among police officials. A demonstration of Hazmat suit was made and medical kits were distributed by Police Commissioner Alok Singh.