‘Their windows are still open’, neighbours of Hyd coronavirus patient in fear

Hyderabad: Residents of Ravi colony where the 24-year-old techie, who tested positive to coronavirus stayed, are in a state of panic. The residents were shocked when they realised that the first case of coronavirus from Telangana was in their neighbourhood.

S Paavali, who stays right opposite to the patient’s house, told NewsMeter, “He moved with his parents three months back to their newly constructed house. He is the only child to his parents. After passing out from IIT Mumbai he has been working for a software company in Bangalore. We rarely see him in Hyderabad one weekend every month."

His parents are railway employees with the father having retired a few years back.

“I came to know the news when his mother called me. It was a shock to us. Everyday night we meet. As the boy was sick for some days, his parents were busy in the hospital. Apart from worrying about her son’s condition she is also forced to answer calls, from public" she said.

Open windows create panic

Meanwhile, the windows of patient's house are kept open. Residents fear this could spread virus to the surrounding houses. Several houses are adjacent to their house.

There are around two hundred families in Ravi colony. His family stays on the third floor of an apartment.

Sanjiv Reddy, another resident from Ravi Colony told NewsMeter, "There would be around 15 people in the apartment. Apart from his parents there are no elders staying there. However, there are school-going kids in that apartment. We are told that all of them have been shifted to Gandhi Hospital for observation. The open windows are actually scaring us. We have informed the association to close them at the earliest”

The paranoia among residents was such that several residents in fear of Coronavirus asked this reporter to immediately leave the locality.

Srinivas Reddy, another resident said, "I returned from Bangalore today morning. People are telling us to vacate the colony. However, so far we have not received any official directions. The boy and family shifted here recently and this is a gated community. So we don't know him much. My kids say they have seen him. But I have not.'