One more person admitted to RML coronavirus ward
NEW DELHI:ONE more person suspected to have the novel coronavirus (ncov-2019) was admitted to the isolation ward of Delhi’s Dr Ram Manohar Lohia hospital on Tuesday, taking the total number of patients in the ward to seven. The 38-year-old male had been living in China for the last 12 years and returned to India on February 2.
“Another person with travel history to China showing some symptoms like fever and cough has been admitted to the isolation ward. We have seven people in total in the ward right now,” said Smriti Tiwari, hospital spokesperson. RML hospital has been designated as the nodal centre for treatment and quarantine of people suspected to have the viral infection.
The samples of the man admitted on Tuesday have been sent to the National Institute of Virology, Pune.
Since the first suspected case in the city was admitted to RML hospital on January 27, 18 people have been admitted to the 32-bed isolation ward. All of the persons, except the six whose reports are still awaited, were discharged after their reports came back negative.
So far, laboratories of the Indian Council of Medical Research have tested 454 samples, of which 451 tested negative for the disease. Three people from Kerala have tested positive for the novel Coronavirus.
All the four central government hospitals in Delhi have been asked to create isolation facilities.
The Delhi government on gave out a public advisory on novel coronavirus, which talks about the symptoms, mode of transmission, and how to reduce risk of the infection.
The advisory says that people must wash their hands with soap and water or alcohol based handsanitisers, they must cover their nose and mouth while coughing or sneezing, avoid close contact with anyone with flu-like symptoms, avoid frozen meat among others.
“We have also asked the state government hospitals to remain on alert. If needed, separate isolated clinics might be set up,” said a Delhi government official, on condition of anonymity.
Apart from the health ministry helpline number, the Delhi government has also set up a 24*7 helpline number -- 011-22307145, 22300012, and 22300036.