Coronavirus has supposedly hit Indian shores. A suspected case of the disease has been reported in Rajasthan, following which the patient has been kept in isolation.
According to the State’s Health Minister Raghu Sharma, a medical student who just completed his MBBS course in China, has been kept quarantined at SMS Hospital in Jaipur on suspicion of being affected by the deadly coronavirus. Sharma has also directed the hospital to screen his family members.
"According to the information received, 18 persons in four districts of the State have returned from China. The Chief Medical and Health Officers of the four districts have been instructed to keep all of them under constant monitoring for 28 days," said the Minister.
Sharma has also requested the Centre to facilitate full screening at international airports.
Already, 11 people in four cities have been kept under observation, in isolation, after their return from China. These include seven in Kerala, two in Mumbai and one each in Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
"Seven people (in Kerala) who have extremely mild symptoms were kept under observation in isolation wards on Friday, primarily as a precautionary measure, since they returned from China," said Amar Fettle, Kerala's officer-in-charge for communication on coronavirus.
The virus has raised concern worldwide, with the death toll jumping to 80, and nearly 2,000 confirmed cases reported in China.
WHO meeting today
Meanwhile, the head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) is set to hold a special meeting with officials in Beijing today (Monday), to discuss how to contain the epidemic.
China has extended its biggest national holiday – the Lunar New Year – to February 2. Authorities have also been directed to curb the movement of tens of millions of people.
At least 17 cities in China are now under lockdown, with several areas banning long-distance bus services, including Beijing, Shanghai and the eastern province of Shandong, home to about 100 million people.