Chitwan, May 22

It is learnt that two persons infected with the novel coronavirus in Chitwan had returned from New Delhi in an ambulance. They had travelled up to Nepal-India border, Krishnanagar, from New Delhi in an ambulance and changed the ambulance from there to reach their home in Chitwan.

Bharatpur Metropolitan City Health Chief Dipak Subedi said they had returned home on May 16. After they tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday, they were taken to Bharatpur Corona Special Hospital at 2:00am today. Out of 131 swab samples tested for COVID-19 at Bharatpur Corona Special Hospital lab, one person from Nawalparasi and two from Chitwan had tested positive for the virus.

The couple diagnosed with COVID-19 are aged 74 and 73. They are from Kesharbag of Bharatpur Metropolitan City. Their eldest son, who had joined his parents to India, however, has tested negative for the virus.

The couple and their eldest son had left for treatment to New Delhi on March 15. The father was given third cycle of chemotherapy for cancer treatment at Rajivgandhi Hospital.

Upon return from New Delhi, they had stayed in quarantine on the upper floor of their house. “They had stayed in quarantine on their own after their return from New Delhi,” said Subedi. They had visited the lab on their own for corona test yesterday.

Locals also confirmed that they were in home quarantine after returning from New Delhi. Chitwan CDO Narayan Prasad Bhattarai said the couple’s house and their tole were sealed and contact tracing was under way.

The COVID-19 patient from Nawalparasi was also brought to the hospital this morning. Bharatpur Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Shreeram Tiwari said the male aged 45 is from Triveni Municipality-6. He had returned to Nepal from Gujarat on May 14.

He was put in quarantine in western Nawalparasi upon his return. He had complained of fever on May 20. Then, he was taken to Chormara Health Centre. He was brought to Bharatpur Corona Special Hospital after he tested positive for COVID-19.

“The condition of three COVID-infected and one brought from Nawalparasi is normal,” said Dr Tiwari.

Earlier, a mother and her son were discharged from Bharatpur Corona Special Hospital after they recovered fully from the COVID-19. They are from Rapti Municipality, Chitwan.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on May 23, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.