Coronavirus in UAE: Class fellows, bus mates of infected Indian student undergo tests for Covid-19

Dubai - The student contracted the infection after the child's parent travelled overseas.

Class and bus mates of the 16-year-old Indian student infected with the Covid-19 coronavirus underwent nasal swab and temperature tests on Thursday, March 5, Khaleej Times has learnt.
Parents whose kids underwent medical tests at health centres in Dubai said basic nasal swab tests were performed on the kids. Teaching staff at the school also underwent tests according to the Dubai Health Authority and school sources.
According to a statement from the DHA issued on Wednesday, March 4, the student contracted the infection after the child's parent travelled overseas. The parent developed symptoms five days after returning to Dubai. "Both the student and family members have been quarantined in hospital and are stable and recovering well. All other family members have also been quarantined," said the DHA.
A parent whose child was tested told Khaleej Times on the condition of anonymity, "My ward travels with the Covid-19 patient in the same school bus. This morning (Thursday), a nasal swab test was performed. We are obviously worried, but, there is a lot of misinformation about this case in the media and social media. The school took all safety measures, and acted swiftly." It is said that the child in question did not attend school on Wednesday.
The parent said, "We were told if the test is negative, results will be given in 24-hours." However, parents were told if the tests came positive within the next four hours, immediate action will be taken and the patient and family will be placed in a safe environment for treatment. Another parent said, "There were several parents present at the health centre where the testing took place. It was very well organised."
A third parent said, "My child travels on the same bus as the patient as well and is perfectly fine at the moment." Meanwhile, sources at the Indian- curriculum school where the teenager studies are said to have performed all the mandatory sanitisation procedures, and an examination was also held at the school premises on Thursday. A CBSE board exam will be held tomorrow as well.
DHA has adopted stringent pro-active precautionary measures to ensure the health, safety and well-being of all students of the school and their families. In coordination with the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), we have issued instructions for classes in the school to be suspended. The school is being sanitised as per international best practices in preventive measures against the coronavirus.
Khaleej Times has not explicitly mentioned the name of the school to avoid unnecessary panic. We are aware that the school in question has reached out to all parents and apprised them of the situation. Besides, those students and families who may be at risk of infection are already being tested.
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com