Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, Jul 19: Contradictory results in the coronavirus test report of a woman, who had arrived from Saudi Arabia and was under institutional quarantine in a lodge in the city, has caused chaos and anxiety to her family.

The 30-year-old, who is six months pregnant woman, is a resident of Valachil Padavu under Adyar gram panchayat limits, and had been living with her husband in Saudi Arabia. She had come to Mangaluru on July 14 along with her two-year-old son from Saudi Arabia and was quarantined in a lodge in the city.

Only July 15, the throat swabs of both woman and her son were sent to laboratory for testing. On July 18, while the laboratory report was still awaited, the village accountant of Adyar gram panchayat, local primary health care centre and the health centre of Mangaluru, contacted the woman in separate calls and told her that she had tested positive for coronavirus. The woman was severly disturbed because of these calls from three people. She even refused to have food.

However, to her surprise, the report of Covid-19 laboratory, which the woman received on the evening of July 18, showed that she had tested negative.

Now the woman and her family members are anxious because of the contradictory reports given by Covid lab and the health department people. In the health bulletin that was released by the district health department on Saturday, July 18, the said woman was declared as positive. However, in the evening the report of Covid lab said she tested negative. The family members are in a fix and do not know whom to believe.

Mohammed Iqbal, brother of the woman spoke to the media and said, "We are confused because of the report from the health department. We do not know whether we should go by the Covid lab report or the report given by the health department. I request the health department to clarify on the matter."

Speaking on the issue, village accountant of Adyar gram panchayat said, "We have not committed any error in this matter. We were about to seal the house based on the health bulletin of the health department. But when we came to know that the woman had arrived from Gulf and is under quarantine in the lodge, we did not seal their house. We do not have any information with regard to the negative report that the woman has received from the Covid lab. We will bring this issue to the notice of higher authorities."

Sources said that the matter was later resolved. The woman was not taken to the hospital after the authorities were shown the lab report which confirmed that she had not contracted the infection.