Thiruvananthapuram: First case of Novel Coronavirus in India has been detected in Kerala on Thursday.
The infected person is a female student of Wuhan University, according to the Ministry of Health. The patient has been kept in the isolation ward and is said to be stable.
At least 806 people who returned from China to Kerala have been kept under observation over possible exposure to the Novel Coronavirus. Ten of these persons have been kept in isolation wards, while the remaining been quarantined at homes.
Meanwhile, Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja has called a meeting with Health Secretary and other officials. The minister is also expected to address a press conference at 3 pm and provide updates on the situation.
The Indian government has said that it is prepared to handle any outbreak in the country. As a precautionary measure, health authorities have placed many people under medical observation. Various airports have started screening passengers arriving from China.
Over 1,700 cases have been registered in China alone and as many as 170 have died from the virus, Economic Times reported.
Coronavirus originated in Wuhan, a Chinese city of more than 11 million people, and has since spread to various countries around the world.
“nCoV is fatal but it is not known how the virus behaves in largely populated areas. Therefore, prevention and strict surveillance are very important in India,” said Jugal Kishore director professor & head of department-community medicine, Vardhman Mahavir Medical College (VMMC) and Safdarjung Hospital (Ministry of Health & Family Welfare), New Delhi.
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