18-year-old man's swab sample collected to check for coronavirus in Aurangabad

Aurangabad, Mar 12: Swab sample of an 18-year-old man was collected on Wednesday evening here in Maharashtra and sent to Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV) to check for the novel coronavirus, an official said.

The man currently has pneumonia (a lung infection) and has been sent to the Government Medical College and Hospital here for further treatment, he said.

"A young man residing in the city travelled from Uttar Pradesh to Aurangabad in a train some days ago. He reached district hospital today evening and was checked. "He was found pneumatic and hence his swab was taken for investigation and was sent to Pune," Dr Sundar Kulkarni, district health officer, told PTI.

"After taking the swab, we sent him to Government Medical College and Hospital," he said.

Hospital superintendent Dr Suresh Harbade said the patient has been kept in isolation.

"We have kept the patient isolated as we have taken his swab. Antibiotics and other medicines are being given to him as there is little distress for breathing. He is breathing naturally and no support system is being used currently," said Harbade.

He was in Meerut (western Uttar Pradesh), but we have not found any positive patient of the coronavirus there. Still we are taking care," Harbade added.

Swab of a 29-year-man residing in Aurangabad was collected 2-3 days ago, but his report came negative, Kulkarni said.