ZCZC
BSS-14
INDIA-CORONAVIRUS-CASE
First case of Coronavirus infection reported in Kerala
By Aminul Islam Mirja
NEW DELHI, Jan 30, 2020 (BSS) – The first case of Coronavirus
infection was reported in India’s Kerala state today, health
ministry confirmed.
“One positive case of novel coronavirus patient, a student
studying in Wuhan University, has been reported in Kerala,” the
health ministry said.
After detection, the patient was kept in isolation in a
hospital. Health officials in Kerala, however, said that the
“Female student is stable and is being closely monitored”.
According to media reports, the Health Minister of Kerala KK
Shailaja held an emergency meeting with the health official this
afternoon to discuss the matters to control possible outbreak of
the viral infection, which already claimed 170 lives in China’s
Wuhan province, the epicentre of the disease.
Quoting health officials in Kerala, local media reported that
isolation wards are ready in all hospitals and medical college in
the state. The state is on high alert after detection of first
case in the country.
In all, 806 people are under observation in Kerala, the
report added.
Meanwhile, three patients, who were admitted to Delhi’s Ram
Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital, were discharged on Thursday after
being tested negative of Coronavirus.
Since Monday, these three men were kept under tight health
monitoring and isolation for the medical treatment after they
complained of respiratory illnesses.
In the wake of rising cases of the virus, the central
government on Wednesday issued an important travel advisory asking
people to refrain from travelling to China.
However, the Indian government undertook a plan on Tuesday to
evacuate all of its 300 citizens from Wuhan province of China.
The India’s External Affairs Ministry made a formal request
to China “for facilitating evacuation of the Indian nationals from
Wuhan”.
In a tweet message the ministry’s spokesperson Raveesh Kumar
said, “Any dates on when Indians in Wuhan will be brought back”.
Coronavirus, originated in Wuhan, a Chinese city of more than
11 million people, has already spread to various countries around
the world.
As many as 170 people have died of the virus, while over
1,700 cases have been registered in China alone, according to
media reports.
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause
illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such
as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).
A novel coronavirus is a new strain that had not been
previously identified in humans.
BSS/AIM/RY/1635 hrs