Cop diagnosed after 3 negative tests, dies

Lucknow: A 47-year-old police inspector from Shahjahanpur suffering from Covid-19 died of respiratory failure in a city hospital on Thursday. His diagnosis was delayed as the first three tests done in Shahjahanpur were negative. It was only after he came to Lucknow for treatment that he was found to be positive for the infection.

Doctors said the patient was diabetic and his lungs were severely damaged by the infection.

According to SP Shahjahanpur S Anand, the patient, Indrajeet Singh Bhadauriya, was posted as SHO Allahaganj. He developed influenza-like illness on July 23, a day after returning from Meerut where he had gone for training.

“We immediately got him tested for Covid-19, but the report came back negative. He was advised to rest but when there was no relief from congestion and heavy breathing, he got himself tested twice again with a gap of two days between each. On both occasions, his report was negative. Seeing no improvement, I suggested to him to go to Lucknow,” said the SP.

The cop reached Lucknow on August 1 and got admitted to a private hospital which sent his swab samples for Covid-19 examination again. This time he was tested with the RT-PCR method.

“The report came back positive and he was shifted to another private hospital designated for Covid patients. He responded to medicines initially but was put on ventilator after his condition deteriorated on August 4. In view of the serious condition, he was to be shifted to SGPGIMS. We lost him before that could be done,” he added.

A native of Unnao, Bhadauriya was inducted as a constable in 1989 and became sub-inspector in 2013.