As many as 2,885 passengers who travelled to China between January 15 and February 8 are currently under observation, after they developed suspected symptoms of novel coronavirus (nCoV). (File)
As many as 2,885 passengers who travelled to China between January 15 and February 8 are currently under observation, after they developed suspected symptoms of novel coronavirus (nCoV). Of these, 10 have been hospitalised and the rest have been advised to remain in isolation at home. As per data provided by the Immigration Department of Delhi government, 758 passengers are still untraceable.
“The data was provided by the Immigration Department; we bifurcated the numbers on the basis of 11 districts in Delhi. The highest number of passengers are from West Delhi, followed by South and North West Delhi. We conducted a door-to-door survey to identify and track these passengers,” said Satyendra Singh, special secretary (health), Delhi government.
The new strain of coronavirus originated in Wuhan, China. Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, the infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure, and even death.
As per the WHO, the standard recommendations to prevent infection include regular washing of hands, covering the mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, and avoiding close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.
In Delhi, a total of 26,257 passengers have been screened for the virus so far, with 4,045 people being screened at the Delhi Airport on Monday.
Data prepared by the health department states that 57 people are under observation till date, of which 38 went to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and 19 to Safdarjung Hospital. On Monday, three men were admitted to RML Hospital with suspected symptoms of the virus.
Among them, two are Chinese nationals — one came to India on January 1, and the other on January 29. A 34-year-old male, who had been staying in Beijing from November 2019 and returned to India on February 9, has also been hospitalised.