Coronavirus: Second case of infectious disease reported in Kerala

Union Health Ministry on Sunday stated that India’s second case of coronavirus has been reported in Kerala, three days after the southern state reported country’s first case of the deadly disease that has killed over 300 people in China.

The coronavirus epidemic, which emanated in China and spread to more than 20 nations, has been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

"Second positive case of Novel Coronavirus patient, has been reported in Kerala. The patient has a travel history from China. The patient is stable and is being closely monitored," government said in a statement. The patient is said to have come back from China on January 24.

Earlier, Kerala reported India’s first case of coronavirus, a medical student studying in China’s Wuhan city, the heart of the outbreak. She was put in isolation at a hospital in Thrissur after she self-reported throat infection, government said.

More than 1,700 people are under observation at their homes in Kerala for potential exposure to the virus. Seventy people are being observed in isolation wards on all parts of the state. "We are well prepared with multi-level surveillance, support systems on the ground. A 28-day home quarantine is crucial," Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja had said earlier this week, asking people travelling from China to report to the health department.

The Union Health Ministry had also asked people who have a travel history to China since 1st January to report at the nearest health centre if they have experience of any symptoms such as cough, fever or respiratory problem. As many as 52,000 passengers from 326 flights have been screened for novel coronavirus at numerous airports on all parts of the country till Saturday, as stated by the government. Ninety seven symptomatic travellers have been put to isolation facilities, official stated.

Probable cases are also being monitored in isolation wards of hospitals in several cities including Delhi and Mumbai

Earlier, a second batch of 324 Indians, locked down in Wuhan, were evacuated from the city by an Air India plane. They landed in Delhi at around 9:40 am today. The first Air India flight, a specially-prepped Boeing 747, brought back 324 Indians stranded in the city on Saturday.

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