Dialysis patient tests positive for COVID-19

A dialysis patient that visited the IGMH hospital has tested positive for COVID-19.

Sun has learned that the patient was informed of his condition by HPA yesterday. 

The middle-aged individual was tested for the virus after a deterioration of the condition, having visited the IGMH hospital to obtain dialysis treatment. The individual has now been moved to Dharumavantha Hospital after testing positive. 

Dharumavantha Hospital houses a special facility to treat respiratory illnesses named DH11. 

Previous cases of IGMH patients testing positive for COVID-19 has been reported. An elderly woman from N. Manadhoo had also tested positive for the virus after being brought to IGMH. Another similar case involved a pregnant woman.

The elderly woman’s test results had only been received after she was discharged. She is now being treated at the DH11 facility.

The pregnant woman had given birth after being moved to Tree Top Hospital. The mother and the baby are doing well.

Tree Top Hospital was released to the government to be turned into a center to treat COVID-19 patients.

A community outbreak of the virus was later identified on April 15. The Maldives has so far confirmed 1020 cases of the virus.

The country passed the 1000 case mark today. The majority of the cases have been identified in the capital. Most of the cases in the capital had originated among the large migrant worker community.

Cases were also identified in the islands of Hinmafushi in K. Atoll and Manadhoo in N. Atoll today.

Nine had tested positive from Manadhoo after contact with the previously mentioned elderly virus patient.

Three individuals have also tested positive today from the Rehabilitation Center in Hinmafushi. Both islands are in a state of lockdown following the confirmed cases. 

The country is expected to observe a surge in the number of cases by the end of this month.

Experts have now reduced the initial projections due to the effectiveness of lockdown measures, and are now expecting a smaller surge.

Projections made for the country currently show that it could see 77,000 cases in total. The number of deaths could be as high as 900. So far the country has recorded just four deaths from the virus.