The first confirmed COVID-19 patient in Punjab, an Italy-returned NRI, has again tested positive despite completing 14 days’ under treatment at Amritsar’s Guru Nanak Dev Hospital. Doctors said that the man, who is his thirties, is stable and showing signs of recovery. However, his samples returned a positive result after being tested at Amritsar Medical College. Two of the patient's relatives are also under observation and their samples will be sent for testing. Both had returned from Italy along with the patient. The Indian Express had reported on March 5 that health department officials had singled out three Italy-returned passengers at the Amritsar airport the previous day. All three, including a woman, had cold and fever symptoms. The All India Institute of Medical Sciences had stated that two of these three persons tested positive for COVID-19 during preliminary investigation on March 7. Health authorities had then sent samples of both patients to NIV, Pune, for a second opinion. At the Pune lab, only one of the two tested positive for the virus. Samples of the third person – the woman relative of the patient – also tested negative. She has been also kept in observation. Contact tracing The three had first landed in Delhi and then took another flight to Amritsar. There were 104 passengers on the March 4 Delhi to Amritsar flight. The Punjab government had flagged all the passengers on the two flights these persons took to reach Amritsar. "The staff taking care of the patient are protected and living a normal life," said Dr Raman. Samples are being tested at Amritsar Medical college.
