On Thursday, Union health ministry confirmed that all 645 Indians evacuated from China’s Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, have been tested negative for the deadly virus. Almost 500 people have died in China, mostly in and around Wuhan.

The ministry said in a statement that all 645 evacuees from Wuhan, China, have tested negative for novel coronavirus. Also, 557 samples have been tested by ICMR [Indian Council of Medical Research] network laboratories and all have tested negative except for 3 which were already reported positive. The 3 positive cases are now clinically stable.The ICMR said all the evacuees will be once again tested on the 14th day of their quarantine period.

The doctors on the Air India flight that had evacuated Indians from China on January 31 has also tested negative for coronavirus. After returning to Delhi, the doctor developed cough, which is a key sign of the coronavirus infection, and hence was tested. The results are negative. The doctor was from the Ram Manohar Lohia hospital in New Delhi and was one of the 10 medical personnel on-board of the flight. All the passengers and the 60-member evacuation team have been quarantined for at least 14 days to check and prevent the possible spread of the viral infection. The evacuation crew had comprised of six doctors, two paramedics, 40 cabin and cockpit crew, engineers and security personnel and the evacuations were carried out on two flights.

On Monday, Kerala reported the third confirmed case of coronavirus from Kasaragod. All three people from Kerala infected were studying medicine in Wuhan. They had returned home individually and were not among the people evacuated by the Air India.

Approximately 1, 38,750 passengers from 1,265 flights have been screened for coronavirus since January 13, as a part of airport surveillance. Community surveillance and contact tracing are also continuing under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, and 6,558 people across 32 states are being monitored currently.

Many countries had already put travel bans with airlines cancelling flights to and from China and mass evacuations of citizens amidst fears of a major pandemic.

Source: Hindustan Times