THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As part of heightening its vigil against nCoV, which has been declared as a public health emergency of international concern by WHO, the health department on Saturday issued a revised guideline for dealing with asymptomatic travellers, suspected and confirmed cases. It also mentioned about the risk stratification of contacts.
“The contact tracing is already on. It means the identification of persons who may have come into contact with the infected person. The guideline broadly classifies them as high-risk and low-risk ones. The follow-up action has also been proposed,” said an officer of nCoV outbreak control and prevention state cell.
Samples to be tested at NIV Alappuzha
Bolstering the fight of the state against the novel coronavirus (nCoV), the National Institute of Virology’s (NIV) Alappuzha unit will provide the sample testing facility from Sunday. According to the department, it will help address the delay involved in sending samples to NIV Pune and getting results back. The department on Saturday issued a revised guideline for dealing with nCoV-suspected or confirmed cases along with risk stratification of contacts.
At the same time, the department said that, to date 1,793 people who had arrived in the state from coronavirus-affected countries have been identified and put under surveillance. Of these, 1,723 are under home isolation and 70 are in select isolation facilities. The department sources said that the health status of the student who tested positive for nCoV remains satisfactory.
“On Saturday, 322 new people were identified. The number of people who were put under home isolation on the day stood at 302. In the case of hospitalisation, it was 20. To date, 39 samples have been sent to NIV Pune for testing, of which results of 23 samples were negative,” stated a bulletin issued by the department.
The bulletin also added that the hospital authorities have confirmed that the health condition of all symptomatic persons under isolation in hospitals is stable. Meanwhile, with more persons getting shifted to isolation facilities at hospitals, the department said it has identified a minimum of two hospitals with isolation facilities in every district. In the wake of the nCoV threat, the department said people have been advised not only to adhere to health advisories issued by the department but also to follow the cough etiquette by covering nose and mouth using handkerchief/towel while sneezing/coughing.
Till date 1,793 people who had arrived in the state from corona-affected countries have been identified and put under surveillance
Of these, 1,723 are under home quarantine, 70 in select isolation facilities; health status of student who tested positive for nCoV satisfactory