67-Year-Old Kumbh Returnee In Bengaluru Infects 33 People

In the first week of April, a 67-year-old woman who returned from Kumbh Mela to Bengaluru tested positive for COVID.

The Kumbh returnee ended up infecting 33 persons, including 13 psychiatric patients, at Spandana Healthcare and Rehabilitation Centre, near Nandini Layout, in West Bengaluru.

The Mahalakshmi Layout resident's 40-year-old daughter-in-law, who works as a psychiatrist with Spandana, had no symptoms and treated 13 patients.

After her mother-in-law tested positive, the doctor got herself tested and found out that she was positive too.

The hospital tested all those who came in her contact. All 13 patients and two staffers tested positive. BBMP officers from Nandini Layout rushed to the hospital for inspection.

In total, 18 family members of the Kumbh returnee were found to be infected. However, the patients didn't experience severe symptoms and have recovered now. The woman was admitted to a private hospital. She has recovered as she had a moderate infection.

A BBMP medical officer from Nandini Layout primary health centre said the index case was the psychiatrist. "None of the infected had severe symptoms, and they were treated in their facility itself. As we traced further, we found the source was a Kumbh returnee from the psychiatrist's family," the doctor told The Times Of India.

Dr Mahesh R Gowda, who is head at Spandana, said with three employees and 13 patients testing positive, they had to close a floor at the hospital.

The hospital now has 31 patients from outside. Dr Gowda further informed that all the patients of Spandana have recovered, and they did not end up spreading the virus as they were isolated well in time.

The psychiatrist was asymptomatic and developed symptoms of COVID later. "Our colleague stopped coming to the hospital after her mother-in-law tested positive," Dr Gowda said.

There are no official details on how many people from Karnataka attended Kumbh and if they took a test on their return. Earlier, the Karnataka government has asked those returning from Kumbh Mela at Haridwar to get themselves quarantined and get tested for coronavirus infection.