Northeast's first COVID-19 patient recovers

The 23-year-old woman who tested positive for COVID-19 in Manipur last month, becoming the first patient in the Northeast, has recovered, officials said on Monday. The woman who had a travel history to the UK tested positive on March 23 and was admitted to the isolation ward of the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS).

State Health and Family Welfare Minister L Jayantakumar Singh said the final test report came in as negative and she is completely free from the deadly virus.

"Its a huge achievement for the whole medical department in general and the doctors and staff of JNIMS in particular," the minister said.

She first tested negative on April 4 and the confirmatory test report also came in as negative, JNIMS Director Th Bhimo said, adding that she has fully recovered. However, as she has undergone mental stress after being in isolation for a long time, the decision about discharging her from the hospital will be taken on Tuesday, an official said.

She will be provided counselling every day so that her mental health improves, Bhimo said. The state's other COVID-19 patient, a 65-year-old man who attended a religious congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin, is currently undergoing treatment at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS).