645 EVACUATED FROM WUHAN TEST NEGATIVE
ON ALERT ICMR says all 645 evacuees to be tested again on 14th day of quarantine period
NEW DELHI: All 645 Indians evacuated from China’s Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, have tested negative for the deadly infection, Union health ministry confirmed on Thursday.
Around 500 people have died in China mostly in and around Wuhan, where the virus emerged last year. “All 645 evacuees from Wuhan, China, have tested negative for Novel Coronavirus. In addition, 557 samples have been tested by ICMR [Indian Council of Medical Research] network laboratories of which all have tested negative except for 3 already reported positive. The 3 positive cases are clinically stable,” the ministry said in a statement.
Kerala on Monday reported the third confirmed case of coronavirus from Kasaragod.
In a statement, the ICMR said all the evacuees will be again tested on the 14th day of their quarantine period. “On the basis of the test results, it will be decided whether it is safe to let them go,” said a health ministry official on condition of anonymity. The doctors on the Air India flight that evacuated Indians from China on January 31 has also tested negative for coronavirus. The doctor was tested after he developed a cough, which is a key sign of infection, after returning to Delhi.
“The result of the sample that was taken from the symptomatic doctor is out, and he has tested negative,” said another health ministry official requesting anonymity. The doctor from the Ram Manohar Lohia hospital in New Delhi was one of the 10 medical personnel on-board the flight.
HT on Wednesday reported how the doctor had developed flulike symptoms raising fear that he may have contracted the deadly viral infection that has infected 20,000 in China alone. All the passengers and the 60-member evacuation team have been quarantined for at least 14 days to check the possible spread of the viral infection.
All three people from Kerala infected so far were studying medicine in Wuhan. They were not among the people evacuated by Air India.
The evacuation crew included six doctors, two paramedics, 40 cabin and cockpit crew, engineers and security personnel and the evacuations were carried out on two flights. “The team involved in the [evacuation] process is under mandatory home quarantine for at least two weeks. The doctor in question was under the weather even before he went on the trip. The team had taken precautions during the trip. So it is unlikely that it is a coronavirus infection but we are leaving nothing to chance,” a third health ministry official said on condition of anonymity.
As part of airport surveillance, 1,38,750 passengers from 1,265 flights have been screened for coronavirus since January 13. Community surveillance and contact tracing are ongoing under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, and 6,558 people across 32 states are currently being monitored.