Breaking: Mizoram's First and only Patient Recovers from COVID-19

Aizawl, May 5, 2020:

After a prolonged battle with the disease, the first and only Covid-19 positive case in the state of Mizoram has made a recovery and the state has now officially been declared 'corona free'. He was undergoing treatment at the Zoram Medical College in Falkawn near the state capital Aizawl.

After taking samples on 4 consecutive days, which were all tested at the Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratory in Silchar Medical College, the Health Minister of Mizoram Dr R Lalthangliana last night declared all samples had returned 'negative'.

Mizoram Chief Secretary, Lalnunmawia Chuaungo, told Inside Northeast that his results had been declared on May 3. "Thus, when the result came back and it was declared that it was negative, we could say that Mizoram has indeed become free from the clutches of the coronavirus", he said.

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Government sources, meanwhile, said that the patient shall be kept in the hospital for further recovery as he is currently "too weak" to leave.

It may be recalled that Mizoram's first and only case till now was detected on March 25, when the country was still in the initial stages of the outbreak. A 50-year-old pastor, who recently returned from Amsterdam, tested positive for COVID-19 in Mizoram, making it the second overall case in Northeast India.

Although there have not been any other detections within the state, Mizos elsewhere have been infected. Recently, there have been a spate of infections in the Northeast India bordering state of West Bengal.

Notably, a 74-year-old man from Mizoram, who had tested positive for Covid-19 in Calcutta, died on Sunday night, officials confirmed.

There has been fear of an outbreak among the patients and attendants staying at Mizoram House after three persons, who are undergoing treatment at AMRI hospital, tested positive.

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