35 cases of COVID-19 found in Indian nationals working in Popesti-Leordeni, near Bucharest

As many as 35 cases of COVID-19 have been detected in Indian nationals working in the city of Popesti-Leordeni, Ilfov County, near Bucharest, according to a press release from the National Institute of Public Health (INSP).

On 1 May, the Ilfov Public Health Directorate informed the National Institute of Public Health - National Center for Communicable Disease Surveillance and Control (INSP - CNSCBT) about an outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 infection detected in 9 citizens of the Republic of India employees of a company based in Popesti-Leordeni.

They had arrived in the country at Henri Coanda-Otopeni Airport on 20 April, presenting negative RT-PCR tests.

According to an internal company procedure, the 9 employees went directly into quarantine for 5 days, following to be tested preventively before entering the community.

INSP states that on 26 April, they were detected with SARS-CoV-2 following rapid antigen tests.

DSP (Public Health Directorate) Ilfov also informed that 26 other foreign nationals from the Republic of India, employees of another company operating in Popesti-Leordeni, were detected with SARS-CoV-2 following a test with rapid antigen tests on 19 and 20 April.

According to INSP, out of the 35 people who were confirmed with SARS-CoV-2 infection, 19 people are currently hospitalized, of whom 18 at the Victor Babes Clinical Hospital for Infectious and Tropical Diseases in Bucharest and one at the Matei Bals National Institute for Infectious Diseases of Bucharest.

The other 16 people who tested positive for the rapid test are still in solitary confinement in Popesti-Leordeni, according to the same source.

On 30 April, patients admitted to the Victor Babes Clinical Hospital for Infectious and Tropical Diseases were sampled for RT-PCR screening and sequencing. On 3 May, the Cantacuzino Institute reported positive sequencing results to the INSP for the British version in 3 patients, as well as for an Indian version, other than the one that caused the current epidemiological situation in India, to 7 other patients. Another 5 patients were positive for variant B.1.127, which is not a cause for concern. In 3 cases, the samples have an inconclusive low viral load, the quoted source states.