Jharkhand reports two cases of H3N2, five fresh cases of COVID-19

Ranchi/Jamshedpur, March 19

Jharkhand reported for the first time two new cases of H3N2 influenza, besides five fresh cases of COVID-19, a health department official said on Sunday.

A 68-year-old woman, who was admitted to Tata Main Hospital (TMH), Jamshedpur with symptoms of cold and fever on Thursday, tested positive for influenza virus H3N2 on Saturday, the official said.

Confirming the report, the Civil Surgeon of East Singhbhum district, Dr Jujhar Manjhi said the victim was kept in an isolation ward and is under observation. The victim did not have any travel history, he said.

The second case was reported at Rani Hospital in Ranchi. The head of the hospital Dr Rajesh Singh told PTI, “A four-year-old child has tested positive for influenza virus H3N2 on Saturday. The child was admitted to the hospital with symptoms of pneumonia. Ranchi-based MicroPraxis Lab confirmed the report.”

Meanwhile, the state’s total active COVID-19 cases reached 10 with five new cases of the disease reported on Saturday.

Ranchi and West Singhbhum districts have reported two cases each, while Deoghar registered one case on Saturday. Earlier, Deoghar, East Singhbhum and Latehar districts reported one case each, while Ranchi two, according to the Covid bulletin of the health department.

With the addition of fresh cases, Jharkhand’s coronavirus caseload rose to 4,42,589 since outbreak of the disease. As many as 4,37,247 people have been cured of the disease so far, while 5,332 persons succumbed to the infection.

Jharkhand has tested 926 samples for COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, the bulletin said.

However, a section of the doctors claimed that number of cases might increase if testing was increased.