1,471 under surveillance in State for novel coronavirus

50 persons are in isolation wards of various hospitals, rest under home quarantine

In all, 1,471 people are under surveillance for novel coronavirus (nCoV) in the State. Of them, 50 are monitored in isolation wards of various hospitals while the others are under home quarantine.

Kozhikode has the maximum number of people under surveillance at 214. There are 125 patients under surveillance in Thrissur.

Health Minister K.K. Shylaja asked private hospitals to report cases of suspected infection to the control room or the Health Department without delay.

In case of infection, patients should be shifted to isolation wards and body fluid samples sent for test. In emergency situations, patients could be shifted to the Government Medical College Hospital (MCH), Thrissur.

She said Thrissur was prepared to face the challenge of the infection. In all, 11 persons had reached Thrissur from China and nine of them were in isolation wards at the MCH and the rest under home surveillance.

An entire building with 20 rooms had been set up as isolation section at the Thrissur MCH.

For 28 days

Ms. Shylaja urged the people who arrived from China to report voluntarily at the Health Department. They should strictly remain under home quarantine for 28 days and avoid public places and functions.

There should be no close contact with other family members too.

“People should take the instructions for house quarantine seriously. They may not exhibit symptoms of the infection but we need to take precautionary measures. Coronavirus has an incubation period of 28 days.”

She said volunteers had been deployed for supporting people under quarantine. Health workers would visit them. The department had arranged special vehicles for people under house quarantine to reach hospitals.

“At present, body fluid samples are being sent to the National Virology Institute, Pune. It is taking two days for getting the results. We have sent a request to make arrangements for testing the samples at the Virology Institute, Alappuzha,” the Minister said.

Health staff ready

Training had been given to 2,000 health workers in hospitals to handle coronavirus patients. Training would be given to workers in private hospitals, ambulance drivers, security personnel, and paramedical staff too.

Special training would be given to Anganwadi, Kudumbashree, and ASHA workers too. Their service would be made available for those under house quarantine.