NEW DELHI: Two people have tested positive for coronavirus in Delhi and Telangana. The one from Delhi had a travel history to Italy and the patient from Telangana had a travel history to Dubai.
The Union Health Ministry had issued a new travel advisory cautioning Indians against non-essential travel to South Korea, Iran, and Italy.
The advisory comes in view of the evolving coronavirus outbreak situation with deaths being reported from these countries. It also states that people coming from these three countries or having such travel history since February 10, are to be quarantined for 14 days on arrival to India.
On February 20, India’s first novel coronavirus patient after being treated at the Government Medical College hospital was discharged. Medical Board took the decision to discharge the woman from the hospital after her samples had tested negative for the second time.
The woman after returning from Wuhan was put in isolation and undergoing treatment.
Two other students infected with coronavirus, one from Alappuzha and another Kasaragod had been discharged recently after they too tested negative for the virus in fresh tests.
All of the three Keralites had earlier tested positive for the coronavirus on their return from Wuhan, the epicenter of the deadly outbreak in China, triggering a scare in the state.
According to WHO, 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 (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.
“Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people. Detailed investigations found that SARS-CoV was transmitted from civet cats to humans and MERS-CoV from dromedary camels to humans. Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans,” stated WHO.
Most common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.
Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing, said WHO.