Coronavirus: 3 under isolation in Delhi hospital

New Delhi: Three persons suspected to be infected with the novel cornavirus have been admitted at the Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) hospital here, an official confirmed on Tuesday.

Speaking to IANS, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the RML hospital said: “The three persons, all residents of the national capital, were admitted on Monday afternoon. They had travelled to China.”

The PRO said that two of them showed symptoms, but all three of them were placed under isolation.

“Tests have been conducted through National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). Reports were expected in four to five days.”

The RML has been selected as the nodal centre for isolation and treatment suspected and confirmed coronavirus cases. However, no case has been confirmed yet.

Isolation wards have also been set up at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

The ongoing outbreak of the coronavirus that originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan and has so far claimed the lives of 106 people, has alarmed health authorities across the globe.

The Indian Health Ministry has taken measures to stop the deadly virus from entering the country and containing the disease if it spreads.

It has also advised people travelling to China or coming from the Asian giant to share their health history with doctors if they showed symptoms like fever, bodyache or breathlessness.

On Monday, a team led by Sujeet Singh, Director of NCDC, visited the RML to review the hospital’s preparedness.

Health experts have said that neither was there a cure or a vaccine to treat the disease and therefore it was very important to take precautionary measures.

More than 2,000 have been screened at airports across the country from 137 flights, while 12 aamples of suspected cases have been sent to National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune.

Health teams have also been deployed at districts bordering Nepal and Bangladesh, as one case has been confirmed in the Himalayan nation.

IANS