Coronavirus: Passengers are being screened at seven identified airports in India.
Over 29,700 passengers have been screened at Indian airports for novel coronavirus infection that, though largely restricted to China, has triggered a global scare with cases being reported as far as the US and Europe. Although suspected cases of the virus have been reported in many states, including Kerala and Maharashtra, none of them have been tested positive "till date". The Indian embassy in Beijing is in close touch with all Indians, including university students, in Wuhan and nearby cities in Hubei province that have been severely affected by the virus.
Here are the top 10 facts on the coronavirus outbreak:
The number of deaths in China had risen to 80, with 76 in Hubei province. As of today, there were 1,423 confirmed cases in Hubei province. Wuhan, a city of 11 million people, has been under lockdown since being identified as the epicentre of the coronavirus.
The virus has spread outside China with Thailand and Hong Kong reporting eight cases of infection. The United States and Macau have five each; Taiwan, Australia, Singapore and Malaysia each have reported four; France and Japan three each; Vietnam and South Korea two apiece, and one each in Canada and Nepal.
Over 29,700 passengers were screened till Sunday at seven identified airports in the country but no positive case was detected, the Union Health ministry said. At least 100 people have been kept under observation in Kerala and Maharashtra following screening for a possible exposure to coronavirus.
The Goa government has decided to form a special task force to monitor cases, if any, in the tourist state.
The coronavirus outbreak that began in the central Chinese city of Wuhan has killed 80 people in China so far and infected more than 2,750 globally, most of them in China. Despite several cases being reported outside China, the World Health Organisation has stopped short of declaring it a global health emergency.
Wuhan has large number of Indians, mostly students studying medicine in different Chinese universities. While many of them were believed to have left home for the Chinese New Year holidays, others remained in the city to complete their academic work. However, the exact number is not yet known. Air India has kept a plane on standby for the evacuation of Indians from Wuhan, news agency ANI reported quoting an official.
The virus has caused alarm because it is still too early to know how dangerous it is and how easily it spreads between people. Also because it is new, humans have not been able to build immunity to it.
Scientists hope to be testing the first possible vaccines in three months' time. China is testing the HIV drug Aluvia as a treatment.
There are severe travel restrictions in Wuhan, with urban transport shut and outgoing flights suspended. Among other measures to contain the virus, China will halt all group tours, affecting tourism both at home and to other countries, from today.
The new virus has caused alarm because of its similarity to SARS, which killed nearly 800 people in mainland China and Hong Kong in 2002-03.
With inputs from PTI and Reuters
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