India News | 22 Members of Extended Family Test Positive for COVID-19 in Telangana

Hyderabad, Jan 1 (PTI) A post-funeral gathering has turned out to be a virtual super spreader in Telangana with 22 members of an extended family testing positive for COVID-19.

As many as 38 people who stayed back for the post-death ceremonies of an elder member of the family in Suryapet, about 130 km from here, underwent screening on Thursday and 22 of them tested positive, an Health department official said on Friday.

Since all of them were asymptomatic, they have been advised home isolation, he told PTI.

Other protocols like contact tracing and sanitation work have been initiated, the official said adding contacts tested so far have not been infected by the coronavirus.

The elder person died one week ago and the members of the extended family, settled at different places, gathered and stayed back in the district headquarter town for the post- death ceremonies.

Initially, one of them, a TB patient, was advised COVID-19 test by a doctor and he turned out to be positive for the virus.

This prompted the members of the extended family to voluntarily undergo COVID-19 tests at a government hospital.

The official stressed on the need to take precautions like maintaining social distance and wearing masks to prevent COVID-19.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)