New Delhi: The Medanta Hospital in Gurugram has said one of its nurses, who tested positive for Covid-19 in Panipat Wednesday, had been advised to stay at home after she developed a mild fever.
However, the nurse didn’t heed the advice and returned to her home town, Panipat, where she was diagnosed with Covid-19. She is currently being treated at Panipat Government Hospital.
“The nurse in question was on leave and travelled extensively by public transport before she returned to work,” said Medanta in a statement.
The hospital said 10 days after her return from leave, its doctors examined the nurse after she developed a fever, and advised her to stay at home until the fever subsided.
“Without prior intimation to us she left Gurgaon via public transport and returned to her home town in Panipat. After 5 days she reported sick and was tested for Covid-19 at the Panipat Government Hospital where her sample reported positive for Covid-19,” Medanta said.
The nurse is the second coronavirus-positive case in Panipat, while Gurugram has registered 10 cases, the highest in Haryana.
Also read: Coronavirus death toll in India rises to 16, positive cases surge to 694: Health Ministry
Nurse was not treating Italian Covid-19 patients
Medanta clarified that the 24-year-old staff nurse was not part of the team that was treating the group of Italian tourists who were admitted at the hospital since 4 March for the coronavirus disease.
The nurse was not assigned to any Covid-19 positive patients, nor did she come in contact with any staff who were looking after patients in the Covid-19 isolation ward, it stated.
The patients assigned to the nurse are now isolated, under observation, and doing well. All staff in contact with her have been quarantined and put under “self-monitoring with delegated supervision” according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines, Medanta said.
Also read: Paracetamol, chloroquine & Google translator: How Medanta treated Italians with coronavirus