2 days ago
Manipur confirms first Covid case this year as university student tests positive
Manipur confirmed its first Covid case this year after a 23-year-old student tested positive for coronavirus, Health Services Director Dr Chambo Gonmei said on Tuesday.
The Covid patient is a native of Ngaikhong Khullen in Bishnupur district and a master's student at Manipur University, Dr Gonmei said.
Dr Gonmei said the 23-year-old woman's RT-PCR test returned positive on Monday. He said the patient was tested at a private clinic in Imphal on June 5 after developing Covid symptoms, including fever. However, she left Imphal for Hyderabad for her internship before knowing her Covid status. She has reportedly been staying in a rented apartment in Imphal West district.
Dr Gonmei said the state Covid surveillance team was investigating the case. 'Our team has also reached out to the administration in Bishnupur, the native district of the patient, besides Imphal West. We have learned that she had been under home isolation after developing the symptoms,' he said.
Dr Gonmei said that although it was waiting for a new advisory from the health ministry, the state health department had taken all the precautionary measures based on the earlier guidelines.
Dr Gonmei said there was no need to panic. 'We are investigating the type of the variant. But the public need not panic, for the new strain is not as severe as the previous ones. Only patients with a poor immune system are more vulnerable,' he said.
As per official sources, Manipur reported its previous Covid case on May 25, 2024. During the pandemic, 2,149 people died of Covid and over 1.40 lakh people tested positive for the virus in the state.
