Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja yesterday confirmed India’s first-ever positive case of coronavirus in Thrissur. A student who returned from China’s Wuhan has tested positive, the minister said.
Shailaja, however, said there is no need to panic, adding the girl was being kept in isolation in a hospital.
“So far, we have sent 20 samples for testing of which 10 turned out negative, results of six are awaited, and one case tested positive. Four other samples have also been sent,” Shailaja said, adding a second gene sequence test is to be done.
“The patient returned from Wuhan where this virus was first detected,” the minister said.
“Her condition is stable and she is improving. Although we have instructed that all returning from China should report to the health authorities, we find that not all are following instructions,” she said.
The minister said instructions have been given to all state-run hospitals to ensure that proper steps are taken to tackle any eventuality.
“We are fully ready to fight this and I reiterate there is no need to panic at all,” she said.
The Union ministry of health and family welfare first announced that a positive case of coronavirus from Kerala has come to light.
“One positive case of novel coronavirus – a student studying in Wuhan University – has been reported from Kerala,” said a statement released by the health ministry.
“The patient is stable and is being closely monitored,” the ministry statement added.
According to the figures put out on Wednesday night by the Kerala health authorities, around 800 people are under observation with 10 hospitalised and the rest confined to their homes.
Meanwhile, with the official confirmation of the coronavirus case, many people in and around the Thrissur General Hospital were spotted wearing masks.
Mohan Roy, Thrissur hospital medical superintendent, said everything was in control. “We have worked out a plan to tackle this. If anyone feels unwell, they should seek medical attention immediately. The patient who has tested positive sought medical attention the moment she felt she had a sore throat,” said Roy. Her condition was stable, he added.
T N Prathapan, Lok Sabha member from Thrissur, said he was in touch with the central authorities. “I have raised the need for sending a team of health professionals to Thrissur,” Prathapan said and added, they had assured all help.
Stating that there was no need of panic, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said, “It’s bad news that a case has been confirmed in Thrissur. But we have done everything possible.”
Earlier, the ministry of health and family welfare issued an advisory to media persons to maintain the dignity and privacy of the patient who has tested positive.
“I request all our media that we must like other international press maintain the dignity and privacy of our patients. Let’s all take this conscious decision collectively so that we can be an example to the world,” Health Secretary Preeti Sudan said in a statement, adding “If you notice, China also has not given out these details.”
Wuhan city in China witnessed an outbreak of the new strain of coronavirus last month. Since then the death toll in China from the new virus has risen to over 170 with 7,711 confirmed cases, as repatriation flights for foreign nationals continued.
Outside China, Hong Kong and Macau, other countries with confirmed cases include Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, South Korea, Japan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Canada, the United States, United Arab Emirates, Australia (two new cases reported on Thursday), France and Germany.
