Kerala on Monday reported another case of the rapidly-spreading coronavirus from Kasaragod taking the total number of the affected in the country to three even as state health minister KK Shailaja said there are chances of more samples testing positive.
Health officials said like the other two patients, the latest is also a medical student who returned to India in the last week of January from coronavirus epicentre of Wuhan and that all the three travelled back together from China.
“The patient is stable and being closely monitored,” the Union health ministry said in a release.
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The second case of coronavirus was detected in Kerala’s Alappuzha on Sunday after the first was reported on Thursday last week from Thrissur, prompting the authorities in Kerala to put the state on high alert.
Of the seven students who came in a batch on January 24, the other four are in isolation wards in different hospitals and people who came in contact with them were also isolated, officials in the state said.
{{/usCountry}}Of the seven students who came in a batch on January 24, the other four are in isolation wards in different hospitals and people who came in contact with them were also isolated, officials in the state said.
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‘All steps to contain’
The state health minister said the government has taken enough steps to contain the secondary infection of the virus and that there was no need to panic. She said the state will overcome the fresh challenge as it did with the nipah virus two years ago.
Though 17 people died of nipah infection in 2018, the state had localised the virus and contained it in two weeks.
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“The condition of all the three affected is stable. The mortality rate of nCoV is very low but it can spread fast and it can be transmitted even before it was diagnosed. Taking this into consideration, there are chances of more samples testing positive,” Shailaja said in the state assembly.
She said 2,000 people are under surveillance at homes across the state and 80 have been admitted to isolation wards.
“Surveillance is the key. We have taken all steps to contain it. People are alerted throughout the state and they are following the guidelines issued by the health ministry. We have to be more alert,” she said.
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New centre, video
She also said since the virology centre in Alappuzha has started operating it will ensure faster testing of samples. After sending samples to the National Institute of Virology in Pune it takes at least three days to get the result but now in Alappuzha, it will be available in seven hours.
Though the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended a 14-day incubation period, the state is insisting for 28 days because of the high density of population.
In a fresh recommendation, WHO has also asked laboratories to test only one swab sample as against the earlier two in suspected cases to cut down the result time. But the Alappuzha centre will continue with two tests to ensure foolproof results.
A video, commissioned by the state health ministry, is being screened in schools to create general awareness.
Health experts said the video will help put forth facts about the virus and dispel unnecessary fears among students and teachers. With the robust health care system the state can tide over the present threat easily, they said.
At least 200 isolation wards have been set up in the state to meet the emergency. Many private hospitals have also offered isolation wards, intensive care units, ventilator support and enough supply of masks and gloves.
The government has also appointed special medical officers in all district hospitals and medical college hospitals only to deal with virus-related cases.
In isolation
In all, 198 samples have been tested for the novel coronavirus, of which 195 samples have tested negative.
Close to 100 people, with a history of travel to China, are under quarantine in different hospitals across India.
Eight of the 13 patients kept in the isolation ward In New Delhi’s Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital have been discharged. Reports of five suspected cases are awaited.
In a fresh travel advisory issued by the Indian government, e-Visa already issued to Chinese nationals is not valid temporarily.
“The facility for submitting the application online for the physical visa from China is suspended,” the government statement said.
“People having compelling reasons to visit India asked to contact the India embassy in Beijing or consulate in Shanghai or Guangzhou,” it added.