Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek stable; megastar says 'flooded with love'

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who along with his son, actor Abhishek Bachchan was admitted to a hospital in Mumbai after testing positive for coronavirus, on Monday said he was "flooded" with the love and prayers coming his family's way in these trying times.

Amitabh, 77, and Abhishek, 44, revealed their diagnosis on Twitter on July 11, saying they were in the isolation ward of Nanavati Hospital.

"The heavy rainfall of your prayers and good wishes has broken all the dams of affectionate bonds. I am flooded with so much love. I can't explain the way you have brightened the darkness of my isolation," he wrote in Hindi on Twitter.

The screen icon said though it would be impossible to thank everyone personally, he was touched by the outpouring of love and best wishes for him and his family.

"I bow down to you," Amitabh added.

On Sunday, Amitabh's daughter-in-law, actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, 46, and her eight-year-old daughter Aaradhya Bachchan also tested positive for Covid-19.

Abhishek confirmed Aishwarya and Aaradhya's diagnosis on the microblogging site on Sunday, adding that they will be "self-quarantining at home".

The actor said he and his father will "remain in hospital till the doctors decide otherwise".

Fans of Amitabh in Kolkata have organised "mahamritunjay yagna", which they said would continue till the Bollywood superstar and his family recover from Covid-19.

Earlier on Monday, hospital sources said that the Bachchan father-son duo were "clinically stable".

"They both are in the (isolation) ward and are clinically stable. At present, they do not requiring aggressive treatment. They are okay with the first line of medication. They are being given supportive therapy," a hospital insider told PTI.

"Their vitals and appetite are fine," the source added.

Assistant municipal commissioner, K West ward, Vishwas Mote confirmed that 26 staff members working at Bachchans' bungalows have tested negative for Covid-19.

"As per the laboratory report, all the staffers have tested negative to Covid-19," he said.

Another BMC official said that total 30 staffers have been quarantined, but only 26 of them were from high-risk contact group, while the remaining were from low risk group.

Mumbai's Covid-19 cases rose by 1,174 to 93,894 on Monday while the death toll went up by 47 to 5,332, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.