Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa re-infected with COVID-19, tests positive second time since August last year

Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa (File image: PTI)

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa tested positive for coronavirus again on April 16. This is the second time when the 77-year-old Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) veteran contracted the contagious infection since August last year.

"Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa tests positive for COVID-19. He'll be shifted to Manipal hospital from Ramaiah Memorial hospital where he was admitted earlier today," the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Yediyurappa had also tested positive for the virus on August 2, 2020. He was then diagnosed with mild symptoms, and had recovered after being briefly hospitalised.

On March 13, Yediyurappa, along with State Health Minister K Sudhakar, had received the first dose of anti-coronavirus vaccine.

The Karnataka CM being re-infected with COVID-19 comes amid a nationwide surge in coronavirus cases - with experts attributing it to mutations in the virus.

The case also indicates that the new variants of coronavirus can skip through the immunity developed by the human body against the unmutated form of SARS-CoV-2019 virus.

Karnataka is one of the states hit severely by the second wave of pandemic in India. As per the last update issued by the health department on April 15, a total of 14,738 fresh coronavirus cases and 66 related fatalities were reported.

Refraining from a lockdown, the state government has decided to impose night curfews from 10 am to 5 pm in seven high caseload districts, including Bengaluru. The future course of action would be decided after April 20, Yediyurappa said earlier in the day.