Message claims COVID –ve person forcefully detained, officials deny

According to sources, Babu (35) of Vellore Saidapet area, who works in a small eatery, underwent the test for COVID19 around 10 days ago. Two days later, he received a negative result. However, still feeling unwell, he got himself admitted to the COVID Care Centre at the Vellore Pentland taluk hospital four days after the first test returned negative.

After being treated for a week, he was discharged on Saturday. But his friend in the next bed, who saw the negative result of the first test, put out a message on WhatsApp that a person was forcefully kept at the hospital despite testing negative. Babu reportedly could not read English.

After the issue reached officials, they immediately checked and discharged Babu on Saturday night. Talking to DT Next, officials said: “All the furore was over another person viewing the negative result of an old test report and uploading it on social media.”