Two persons tested positive for Covid-19 in the Magrahat 2 block of South 24-Parganas district during a routine surveillance programme on respiratory diseases conducted by Diamond Harbour Medical College earlier this week.
The two patients, a 20-year-old woman and a teenage boy, are residents of the Magrahat 2 block. The patients were found to be Covid positive during a random sampling drive held on May 20 under the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-led “Pan India Respiratory Virus Surveillance Programme”.
The initiative is part of a nationwide effort to track respiratory illnesses, including Covid-19, following the pandemic that began in 2019.
Samples were collected by the microbiology department of Diamond Harbour Medical College when the two individuals visited the outpatient department of the Magrahat 2 block hospital with complaints of common cold and cough. Their test results returned positive for Covid-19, prompting immediate medical attention and follow-up.
Subdivisional officer (SDO) of Diamond Harbour, Anjan Ghosh, said: “The patients were kept under home observation and are quite stable now. A medical team is visiting them regularly. Even the CMOH personally visited them and informed me that they are quite well,” he said.
The chief medical officer of health (CMOH), Diamond Harbour, Jayanta Sukul, told The Telegraph: “The patients are being monitored. But they had no severe symptoms. They were kept at home and administered necessary medicine. At present, they are recuperating and there is nothing to be worried or panicked about.”
The detection of new Covid cases, even in isolated instances, continues to serve as a reminder of the virus’s lingering presence. The Covid-19 pandemic, which began in late 2019 and escalated globally in 2020, led to widespread health crises, lockdowns, and significant loss of life.