MUMBAI: Testing for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus began in Mumbai on Wednesday, with a 29-year-old Navi Mumbai resident showing up negative for the virus at the BMC’s molecular diagnostic laboratory located at Kasturba Hospital near Saat Raasta.
Since the coronavirus scare began in mid-January, eight others were placed in quarantine at the BMC-run Kasturba Hospital but discharged after they tested negative for the virus.
On Wednesday, the Navi Mumbai man was kept in Kasturba Hospital’s isolation ward as he has fever. “We tested his swab sample for the novel coronavirus at the Kasturba PCR lab, and it was negative,” said additional Mumbai municipal commissioner S Kakani. This is the first test for 2019 nCoV in Mumbai. The BMC plans to send his blood sample to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune to be “doubly sure”.
According to Government of India rules, only NIV can perform blood tests for the novel virus while a dozen newly identified laboratories across the country can do the swab test. Rajiv Gandhi Medical College in Nagpur is the second laboratory in Maharashtra to start the test.
Incidentally, the BMC on Tuesday earmarked Rs 2 crore for the upgrade of the molecular laboratory in its latest budget. Budgetary allocation has also been made for the hospital, which has six cubicles in its ward number 30, also known as the isolation ward, to get 145 more beds as a special quarantine facility.
The Navi Mumbai resident, who works with a shipping company, had travelled to Nantong in China between January 22 and February 3. As he developed fever, he came to Kasturba Hospital and has been tested for other conditions such as H1N1 viral infection as well. Three others were placed in isolation at the state-run Government Medical College in Nagpur.
Meanwhile, the state health department said 12,799 passengers were screened at Mumbai airport for nCoV viral infection between January 18 and February 5. Of these, 119 who had a travel history to China were from Maharashtra. Giving a breakup of the passengers, the state health update said 21 of them were placed in quarantine and had tested negative and were discharged. The Navi Mumbai resident is the ninth passenger to be placed in isolation so far, said Kakani. Forty of the 119 travellers completed their 14-day home surveillance, said officials.
Since the coronavirus scare began in mid-January, eight others were placed in quarantine at the BMC-run Kasturba Hospital but discharged after they tested negative for the virus.
On Wednesday, the Navi Mumbai man was kept in Kasturba Hospital’s isolation ward as he has fever. “We tested his swab sample for the novel coronavirus at the Kasturba PCR lab, and it was negative,” said additional Mumbai municipal commissioner S Kakani. This is the first test for 2019 nCoV in Mumbai. The BMC plans to send his blood sample to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune to be “doubly sure”.
According to Government of India rules, only NIV can perform blood tests for the novel virus while a dozen newly identified laboratories across the country can do the swab test. Rajiv Gandhi Medical College in Nagpur is the second laboratory in Maharashtra to start the test.
Incidentally, the BMC on Tuesday earmarked Rs 2 crore for the upgrade of the molecular laboratory in its latest budget. Budgetary allocation has also been made for the hospital, which has six cubicles in its ward number 30, also known as the isolation ward, to get 145 more beds as a special quarantine facility.
The Navi Mumbai resident, who works with a shipping company, had travelled to Nantong in China between January 22 and February 3. As he developed fever, he came to Kasturba Hospital and has been tested for other conditions such as H1N1 viral infection as well. Three others were placed in isolation at the state-run Government Medical College in Nagpur.
Meanwhile, the state health department said 12,799 passengers were screened at Mumbai airport for nCoV viral infection between January 18 and February 5. Of these, 119 who had a travel history to China were from Maharashtra. Giving a breakup of the passengers, the state health update said 21 of them were placed in quarantine and had tested negative and were discharged. The Navi Mumbai resident is the ninth passenger to be placed in isolation so far, said Kakani. Forty of the 119 travellers completed their 14-day home surveillance, said officials.
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