Pune woman tests negative for COVID-19 after 14-day isolation

Pune: In a big relief, a COVID-19 patient from Maharashtra’s Pune city tested negative for the infection on Wednesday, after remaining “critical” on ventilator during her 14-day isolation period.

The woman, who is an anganwadi worker, was taken off the ventilator and responding well to the treatment, a doctor at Bharti Hospital here said.

“On March 30, the patient was given minimal setting on a ventilator and she responded to verbal communication. After eight hours of extubation, she has been on nasal oxygen and vitally stable,” he said.

Samples taken after the completion of the 14-day isolation period have tested negative, he added.

The woman, who had no history of foreign travel, was admitted to the hospital on March 16 and was on ventilator support due to respiratory problems.

The patient tested positive for COVID-19 after her throat swabs were sent to the National Institute of Virology to check for the possibility of swine flu (H1N1).

Five of the woman’s family members have also tested positive for the infection.