KOCHI: A day after a 30-year-old businessman and an art student were admitted to hospitals in the district over suspected infection of novel Coronavirus (nCoV), one more person was taken to the isolation ward on Saturday.
This has taken the total number of people under observation in the district to three. While two persons have been admitted at the Kalamassery Medical College Hospital (MCH), the third is at a private hospital.
The Health department officials have clarified that the situation in the city was under control. “The condition of patients under observation is normal now. Their body temperatures are under the safe level,” said Ernakulam District Medical Officer (DMO) N K Kuttappan.
While the businessman was admitted at the Kalamassery MCH, the second person was taken to a private hospital in city on Friday night. The 21-year-old, hailing from Changanassery, is an art student at Taipei. The third person, who was admitted to the MCH on Saturday morning, is a 30-year old Kochi native. She is pursuing medical studies in Wuhan, China.
However, it is learnt that it will take 24 hours for the test results to arrive from the National Institute Of Virology, Pune. “We have sent three samples for advanced tests so far,” the DMO said. Blood serum, nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs of those under observation have been sent for the test.Apart from admitted patients, as many as 33 people are being kept under observation at their houses. Six persons who had visited Wuhan in the past 28 days are already under home quarantine. “None of these patients have showed any symptom yet. Public should obey the precautionary steps and suggestions for their safety,” he added.