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Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 30 (PTI): A positive case of Novel coronavirus has been detected in Kerala’s Thrissur district and the patient kept in an isolation ward, State health minister KK Shylaja said, as the state government scrambled to tackle the emergency.
The condition of the patient, a student from Wuhan university, was stable, Shylaja told reporters here.
The patient was in isolation ward at the general hospital in Thrissur.
Health officials were awaiting a result of one more test-- Gene sequencing-- only after which it can be conclusively stated that the patient was affected with the virus, the minister said.
Three others, who had returned from China, are also in isolation wards in Thrissur, she said.
The union Health Ministry had earlier in the day said a positive case of Novel coronavirus has been reported from Kerala and confirmed that the patient is a student of Wuhan University.
“Of the four students who returned from China, one of them has been tested positive. A total of 20 samples were sent for testing at National Institute of Virology in Pune, of which 10 were found negative.
But one has been found positive,” Shylaja told reporters here.
The other results are awaited.
Asserting that the state health network was capable of handling any emergency, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said: “We have initiated a series of measures to tackle the emergency; contact tracing, case isolation, quality care and community engagement are being done diligently.
Care must be taken to not spread rumours over social media,” Vijayan tweeted.
It was unfortunate that there was a confirmation of coronavirus in the state, but the state had earlier faced similar situations and has the experience to deal with it, he told reporters.
“We have that experience and well equipped to face this issue. Now one case has been confirmed. We are taking further steps. Its seems like one more test needs to be done.
There is no need to panic but we need to stay vigilant,” Vijayan added.
Shylaja even though the state has been vigilant since the past two weeks and has made necessary arrangements to deal with the situation, there is need to exercise utmost caution.
“We need to be very cautious as our neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka, Nepal have confirmed cases of corornavirus,” the minister said.
She urged those who have returned from China to approach the health ministry or hospitals and get themselves checked.
The Health minister and officials will convene a high-level meeting at Thrissur to upgrade facilities at the medical college there to handle the situation.
At least 806 people, who returned from China in recent days, are under observation in Kerala for possible exposure to the novel coronavirus, Health officials had said.
Of the 806, 173 persons had arrived in the state on Wednesday.
While 10 of them are under observation in isolation wards at various hospitals across the state, the remaining are under home quarantine.