Confusion over Covid reports of 8 Moga patients ends after 8 days, only one positive

These eight patients included seven members of a Baghapurana-based family, all of them Nanded returnees, and one Dubai NRI, Sikander Singh.

The NRI was first declared negative on April 30 and then positive on May 2.

Read| Negative, positive, negative: Dubai NRI’s 3 reports in 8 days put question mark on testing in Punjab

Among the Baghapurana family, Nanded returnee Gurpreet Singh (29) was first declared negative (April 30), then positive (May 2) and then negative again on May 3. In the meantime, his family members – wife, sister and mother — were first declared negative on April 30 and then positive on May 2.

While other three members of the family — Gurpreet’s son (1), his brother and niece – were declared positive on May 2 and their results not changed, doubts persisted on these reports too in view of the other suspicious lab results.

Then the samples of all these patients were taken again and this time sent for testing to PGIMER, Chandigarh and not to the lab of Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital (GGSMCH) Faridkot.

Finally on Thursday, in all these eight cases, the PGI cleared the air.

The only positive patient among these eight now is Gurpreet’s mother, and so she is still being kept at isolation ward of the Moga Civil Hospital. All the rest are now coronavirus negative, and were on Friday discharged from the Civil Hospital.

While the confusion continued, the district authorities had not come out clean on the total active cases in Moga. But that too became clear on Friday.

In a press conference at Moga, Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Hans informed that 11 patients in Moga had been ‘discharged and cured’ including six from Baghapurana (Gurpreet’s family), Dubai NRI from Manuke (whom health team dropped home on Thursday as reported by The Indian Express) and four Tablighi Jamaat members.

As per the latest figures, there are 43 active cases undergoing treatment in the Moga district, while total reported cases are 56.

Talking to The Indian Express Friday, a relieved Gurpreet said: “There should be a proper probe into what has happened to me and my family. Negative, positive, negative and now negative again… my report was never clear. There was never a clear reply from health department. We had returned from Nanded on April 27 in a private vehicle and went to Civil Hospital, Baghapurana. They refused to keep us there and said that we should home quarantine ourselves. We stayed at home from April 27 to 29 and gave our samples for testing. Suddenly, on April 29, a vehicle arrived to pick us and we were taken to government quarantine centre. On April 30, four of us — me, my mother, wife and sister– were declared negative. Then on May 2, all seven of us were declared positive. Then on May 3, I was declared negative and six others positive. Then resampling was done. And today finally, they are saying we all are negative except my mother. I hope that now reports are authentic.”