Dimapur COVID-19 Patient's Second Test 'Negative', Says Report

Guwahati, April 19, 2020:

According to a report carried in The Eastern Mirror, the second test result of the COVID-19 positive patient from Dimapur who is being treated in Guwahati has turned out 'negative'.

A close family member told the publication that the patient also suffers from tuberculosis and that his condition had become very "severe".

Anoop Khichi, the DC of Dimapur told the publication that the third result will determine whether he is indeed cured or needs further treatment. Khichi also said that the first test result is with the Chief Medical Officer of Dimapur.

The patient, meanwhile, seems stuck in limbo as both Assam and Nagaland seem reluctant to accept to accept the case.

The patient had tested positive at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) on Aril 12. Assam’s Health and Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was the first to make the announcement via Twitter.

Now, as per the status report on the COVID-19 released by the Nagaland Government, no cases of the virus have been detected in the state. At the very bottom of the report published by Nagaland’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare are the following words written in bold: The positive case of Nagaland have been added to the tally of Assam state as sampling was done in Assam. The patient is admitted to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital.

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An Inside Northeast source in Nagaland has stated that the state’s officials are perhaps reluctant to count the case as their own because of the “stigma” around COVID-19. The source, under condition of anonymity said, “Earlier, the Health Minister of Nagaland tweeted that the patient is from Nagaland, but the administration seems reluctant to add him to the Nagaland list as there is a huge stigma over the COVID-19 here”.

When contacted in regards to the situation, Assam Health Himanta Biswa Sarma told Inside Northeast that whatever the central government decides under the facts and circumstances, he will be “fine” with it.

Note: Assam’s tally of COVID-19 cases stands at 34; 34 patients have been cured/discharged

Curiously enough, the Health Minister of Nagaland S Pangnyu Phom has sent out a series of tweets in which he is seen acknowledging that the patient is indeed from Nagaland.

In a recent tweet, he wrote, “the condition of the first patient from Dimapur who was tested +ve at Guwahati Medical College yesterday is improving. His father’s sample was tested Negative on the first test. Grateful to all frontliners of Assam who is tkng care of the patient.”

In a subsequent tweet, he wrote, “condition of the first COVID-19 patient from Nagaland is stable and is at ICU for further observations. His father is also doing fine & placed under observation. Wish for the patients speedy recovery.”

Note: 61 more samples were sent for testing from Nagaland on Saturday. Total samples sent so far, as of 6 PM on April 18, was 392.

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