Odisha: 26-year-old groom dies of COVID-19 five days after wedding in Kendrapara district

Kendrapara, May 17: A 26-year-old man died due to COVID-19 days after his wedding in Odisha's Kendrapara district, prompting the authorities to conduct coronavirus tests on the attendees of the marriage ceremony, as fears mount of it turning into a super spreader.

Sanjay Kumar Nayak, a native of Durgadevipada village, under the jurisdiction of Rajkanika police station, had got married on May 10. Nayak, who had returned from Bengaluru for his marriage, developed flu-like symptoms and tested positive for COVID-19 on May 13.

Initially, he was in home isolation but after his condition worsened, he was admitted to a private hospital in Bhubaneswar, where he succumbed to the infection on May 15, medical officer of the Community Health Center (CHC) of Rajkanika, Bibek Rout, said.

A medical team rushed to Durgadevipada village on Sunday and collected samples of the family members of the deceased, including that of the bride. Investigations are on to ascertain how many people attended the wedding and to trace their contacts.

"A special medical camp has been set up in the village to test other people for COVID-19 as we are apprehensive of the wedding function turning into a super spreader," he added.

Meanwhile, a report from Berhampur said that the Ganjam district administration has urged people concerned to undertake rapid antigen tests after marriage ceremonies. Ganjam District Magistrate-cum-Collector V A Kulange appealed to the people to strictly adhere to COVID-19 protocols while organising marriage functions. At present, the government allows 50 people to participate in a marriage event.