KOZHIKODE: A 40-year-old woman has been put under observation in the coronavirus isolation ward of Government General Hospital (Beach Hospital) here with symptoms of fever and cough. According to officials, the woman was referred from a private hospital under suspicion that she is likely to be a carrier of the virus. “It is understood that she has been living in Kozhikode for years.
She went to Singapore on January 22 and returned on Monday,” said a source in the health department. The hospital authorities said that her samples would be sent to National Institute of Virology in Pune on Wednesday morning. This is the first coronavirus suspected case reported from a hospital in the district. As on Monday, 117 persons are under surveillance at their homes and all of them had visited China recently. They are students and businessmen.
All of them have been asked to stay put at home for 28 days. Another isolation ward has been set up at Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital (KMCH) also. Patients and staff at KMCH have been directed to enter the casualty section wearing masks and hospitals have been asked to keep sufficient stock of hand sanitizers and triple-layer masks.
Health advisory
District medical officer (DMO) Dr V Jayashree has directed people who had visited China recently to report to the nearest government hospital. Information can be given on: coronakkd@gmail.com or at: 0495-2371471 and 0495-2376063. The district surveillance officer can be contacted at: 9947068248. Those who had visited foreign countries and are seeking treatment for fever, cough, sore throat, cold or breathing issues at private hospitals should report about their visit.
Such cases should be reported to the district medical office. In case of any suspected case, the patient could only be transferred in ambulance with special facilities to the two hospitals where isolation wards have been set up. For ambulance service, contact: 0495-2371471.
Two discharged; two more admitted to MCH
Kochi: Following negative test results from National Institute of Virology (NIC), Pune, two patients who were admitted to Ernakulam Medical College under suspicion of novel coronavirus (nCoV) last week were discharged on Monday. One of them was diagnosed with H1N1 and both will be put under house surveillance for the next 28 days.
Meanwhile, two more persons were admitted to the isolation ward under suspicion on Monday evening. One of them is a native of Ramapuram and the other is from Edappally. Their samples have been sent to NIV for advance tests. The third person, a 21-year-old from Changanassery remains at a private hospital in the city. Currently, 98 persons have been home quarantined in the district till Tuesday.