Man in Nagpur tests COVID negative at Govt hospital, positive at Private lab

Nagpur: A 35-year-old man from Nagpur's Narendra Nagar is confused as well as frustrated as his sample tested negative in RTPCR at the Government Medical College Hospital, while a private lab said that he is COVID-19 positive within a day. The man accused the civic officials that they treated him as the patient with the new strain of the novel coronavirus. However, the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune is yet to confirm it. The man had tested negative in RTPCR at London, before he boarded his flight to India on November 27.

The man, who is an IT professional came to India on November 28 to meet his parents.

His family was harassed by the civic officials, who went to his home on December 27. The man said that there is no clarity if he is actually COVID-19 positive, but the civic officials have already informed the neighbours of the man that he and his family are the patients of the new strain of COVID-19. The new strain of coronavirus has emerged in the United Kingdom and is said to be 70 per cent more transmissible than the previous one.

The man tested himself in London and tested negative before he flew to India. After three weeks of him arriving in the country, the news of the new strain from the UK emerged. The man received phone calls from multiple departments and was asked to get a test done and submit the report. The private lab collected his sample on December 25, which showed him positive. However, the sample for GMCH was taken on December 26, where he was tested negative. The man is unaware of which of his samples has been sent to NIV, Pune. All of his family members are negative. He fears cross-contamination at the hospital and said that he made a mistake going to a private lab.

The Chief Medical Officer of NMC, Narendra Bahirwar said that the first positive report will be considered, irrespective of the testing agency. A doctor from GMCH said that there are 30-40 per cent chances of a false negative in the RTPCR test.

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