Karnataka SSLC exam 2020: Student found positive for COVID-19 while writing answers

SSLC exam update: A student while writing his SSLC exam was found to be positive for COVID-19. According to reports, the 16-year-old student, who was reportedly suffering from dengue fever went, had appeared for the SSLC exam at Mallipattana government high school in Arkalgud taluk in Hassan district, Karnataka.

He went to Arkalgud taluk hospital for treatment where samples of his throat swabs were collected for testing on and sent to the designated COVID-19 hospital in Hassan on Friday.

“The 16-year-old was attending the exam in a centre situated in Arkalgud town in Hassan. He had recovered from dengue recently and had sent the swab for testing after developing an Influenza-like illness a couple of days back,” Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar confirmed during a press meet in Bengaluru.

While the boy had written the exam along with seventeen other students in the classroom, the boy’s health condition and temperature were normal when he was thermally screened by staff of the education department at the examination centre.

“The student is undergoing treatment at the hospital. He will take supplementary exams to complete the remaining subjects,” said Deputy commissioner Girish.

Meanwhile, invigilators and staff deployed at the examination centre were also home quarantined.

“The student was asymptomatic while writing the exam. He will be allowed to complete his exams later. 19 students in his hall have been medically examined,” said Suresh Kumar, minister for primary and secondary education was quoted saying by News 18.

“The department will coordinate with health officials to verify the data of people in the age group of 14 to 16, whose samples are taken for testing. Such students will be allowed to attend the supplementary exams as fresh candidates,” Suresh Kumar clarified.

Meanwhile, an official on exam duty had tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday in Pavagada taluk in Tumkur district, forcing the education department to send all staff members deployed at the exam centre to go on quarantine.