COVID-19 cases in Hyd's Jiyaguda increase, officials worried as source unknown

For the past one week, almost all COVID-19 cases recorded in Telangana have been from Hyderabad (Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation). Of this, many of the patients are from Jiyaguda, an area in the central part of the city. According to officials, there are over 40 confirmed cases and around seven deaths reported from this cluster. However, what is a bigger cause of worry for officials is that the source of transmission remains unidentified.

TNM spoke to multiple sources who confirmed that Jiyaguda has recorded more than 40 cases. Jiyaguda presently has four containment zones-- Venkatesh Nagar, Indira Nagar, Sanjay Nagar and Durga Nagar. 

In Jiyaguda, the first case was reported on April 22. A source in GHMC said that the patient was a 65-year-old woman from Venkatesh Nagar. The woman was first taken to a Primary Health Care centre in the vicinity. However, she was later shifted to Gandhi Hospital, a dedicated hospital for COVID-19 cases. The woman succumbed to the disease in a couple of days.

Soon her family members were tested for the disease, and a few tested positive. Contact tracing was done even at the PHC, where the woman first went for the health check-up. 

In the following weeks, cases were reported in the neighbouring colonies of Indira Nagar, Sanjay Nagar and Durga Nagar. 

Jiyaguda Municipal corporator, A Krishna said, “The deceased are all above the age of 65. They had co-morbidities like asthma, diabetes, hypertension etc.”

“In each family there were five to seven members and all of them have tested positive,” the corporator added. 

Despite investigations, authorities have not yet identified the source of the transmission. “The woman who died went to the bank to avail the Rs 1500 benefit announced by the government. We don't know if she got the infection from there, or if she got it from a customer who came to her shop,” said the source. The woman’s family own a mutton stall. 

Officials however remained largely tight-lipped about this. The GHMC and the police have been instructed to not share any information pertaining to the crisis in Jiyaguda.

It is unconfirmed if these seven deaths have already been included in the official death toll. On Tuesday (May 12), in a rare case scenario, the Director of Public Health and Family Welfare, G Srinivas confirmed that one person from the locality, a 65-year-old patient with hypertension and diabetes succumbed to the disease. The deceased was availing treatment at KIMS hospital, and was shifted to Gandhi Hospital on Tuesday where he died, the bulletin said. Normally, Telangana does not publish any details of the persons who died of the infection.

As per the government, the death toll stands at 32 as of Tuesday. Telangana has recorded a total of 1326 cases, of which 822 people have recovered.