Second COVID-19 case confirmed in Arunachal; 53-year-old woman asymptomatic
Authorities are preparing a detailed public health advisory in consultation with the National Centre for Disease Control;
A file image of Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (TRIHMS) in Naharlagun. (Photo: @LukkaJ/X)
Itanagar, May 28: A day after Arunachal Pradesh reported its first COVID-19 case, health authorities confirmed a second positive case on Tuesday through RT-PCR testing at the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL) of Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (TRIHMS) in Naharlagun.
Dr Lobsang Jampa, State Surveillance Officer for the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), revealed that the first case involves a 34-year-old pregnant woman, currently 21 weeks along, while the second patient is a 53-year-old woman, who is asymptomatic and is under close observation.
Health officials have urged residents to remain calm and avoid panic. “There is no immediate cause for alarm,” said Dr Jampa in a statement. Authorities are preparing a detailed public health advisory in consultation with the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Delhi.
The state Health Department continues to closely monitor the situation and is implementing all necessary precautions to prevent further spread of the virus.
The initial case, detected on Monday, was confirmed via a rapid antigen test at RK Mission Hospital in Arunachal Pradesh’s capital.
The patient, who tested positive, is admitted and isolated as a precautionary measure. Health officials have described her condition as mild.
Amid rising COVID-19 cases in various regions of India, Dr Rajiv Behl, Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), noted on Monday that the uptick began in southern states, then spread to the west, and is now observed in northern India.
“All these cases are being monitored through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme,” he said, highlighting that the severity of current infections remains generally mild.
Addressing concerns about new variants, Dr Behl explained that genome sequencing from western and southern samples revealed Omicron sub-variants such as LF.7, XFG, JN.1, and NB.1.8.1. “These variants are not severe,” he reassured the public.