Two new COVID-19 patients in Mumbai take total to 18

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The count of positive patients continued to rise in the city as two new cases of COVID 19 were reported on Thursday taking the count to 18. Civic officials said two of the patients who tested positive admitted at Kasturba Hospital are in a sensitive condition and they have both been kept on ventilators.

The two new patients include a 22-year-old woman from the eastern suburbs who had recently travelled to London and landed in Mumbai on March 15. "Her symptoms started to show on March 18 which after which she tested positive on March 19," said Dr Daksha Shah, deputy executive health officer of the civic health department. The second patient is a 47-year-old woman from Ulhas Nagar who had travelled to Dubai and returned on March 4. She was admitted on March 17.

Civic officials said that two of the patients including a 59-year-old Philippines national is in critical condition. "He is on ventilator and his condition improves sometimes. The other patient is also in sensitive condition and also on ventilator. We are monitoring them and have given them the option of transferring to a private hospital if they like," said a senior civic hospital.

Apart from the isolation facilities arranged by the civic body, 10 private hospitals in the city have reserved 150 isolation beds for patients who test positive. Padmaja Keskar, executive health officer said that so far Fortis and Jaslok Hospital have started the service on Thursday and added that the rest will start later this week. "There are out-patient departments at private hospitals. People who have a international travel history and have symptoms can go and get themselves screened. If they need to be tested, then the hospital will admit them. Their samples will be sent to Kasturba Hospital and KEM for testing," she said adding that if they test positive then they will remain in isolation for 14 days.

Dr Shah said currently, 1,383 people are home quarantined across the city. A civic official said that apart from SevenHills Hospital, the Municipal Capacity Building & Research (MCMCR) building in Chandivli will also serve as a quarantine facility. "By Friday, 25 beds will be ready and in another 4-5 days, another 250 beds will be ready," said Keskar. Currently, 96 people are quarantined at SevenHills while six are at Mirage Hotel and seven in Niranta Hotel.

At Kasturba Hospital, 384 patients visited the out patient department on Thursday and 106 people were admitted for testing. Currently, there are 100 people admitted at Kasturba Hospital which includes 18 patients who tested positive.

Apart from the two patients in Mumbai, one other case was reported from Ahmednagar of a 51 year old man who had recently travelled to Dubai with his wife. His wife, however, tested negative. Currently, in Maharashtra there are 48 positive cases.

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