24 of 26 coronavirus patients in Sangli recover, 22 discharged

(Eds: with more inputs)

Mumbai, Apr 10 () Twenty-four of 26 coronaviruspatients in Maharashtra's Sangli district have recovered frominfection, and 22 of them have been discharged, localauthorities said on Friday.

All these patients were either members of a familyliving in Islampur town or those who came in close contactwith it. They accounted for all known coronavirus patients inthis western Maharashtra district.

Twenty-four members of this group tested negativetwice, indicating recovery, said Dr C S Salunkhe, the districtcivil surgeon.

Four members of the family tested positive for viruson March 23 after returning from Saudi Arabia. Within a week,another 21 relatives or close contacts, including a two-year-old boy, were found to have contracted the infection.

"On April 5, the first four persons tested negativetwice after the completion of 14-day isolation," Dr Salunkhesaid.

"In the second and third slots, repeat samples of fiveand three family members tested negative, and recently 12others tested negative twice," he said, adding that 22 of themhave been discharged from hospital.

"Two persons (a couple) who have tested negative arestill in hospital because their two-year-old son's isolationperiod is yet to be over, so they are with him," he added.

But those who have been discharged will have to stayin institutional quarantine for some time before they canresume normal life.

Medical Education Minister Amit Deshmukh and WaterResources Minister Jayant Patil, who is also local MLA andSangli guardian minister, announced the news earlier andpraised the doctors and nurses who treated the patients.

"These patients were under observation at MirajMedical College. The results of their second test have comeout negative, which marks a big success," said Deshmukh.

Patil said a three-pronged approach of isolation,cluster identification and social distancing prevented thespread of the virus in the area, and called it "Islampurpattern".

He, however, reminded people of the district thatlockdown is still in force and it must be followed. ENMSPK ARUKRK KRK