India's First Coronavirus-hit Patient from Kerala Recovering, Officials Await Final Report from NIV, Pune

Thiruvananthapuram: The first patient in the country to be affected by Coronavirus is recovering well and her samples that were sent to the Kerala unit of National Institute of Virology (NIV) have tested negative. Health officials are awaiting test reports from NIV, Pune.

At present, the medical student, who recently returned from Wuhan in China, is being treated at the Thrissur Medical College in an isolation ward after testing positive for the Novel Coronavirus on January 30.

Doctors would take a decision on her discharge after her reports come from NIV, Pune. The woman had come in close contact with five people, all of whom have tested negative for the deadly virus that has already claimed 908 lives and infected at least 40,000 others in China.

All the three persons who have tested positive for the virus in India were studying in Wuhan, considered the epicentre of the disease, and had come back home together.

Samples of the second affected individual, who is under treatment in Alappuzha district, have also tested negative at NIV, Kerala unit. Officials are waiting for his reports from NIV, Pune.

On February 7, Health Minister KK Shailaja said the state calamity status for the virus has been withdrawn after the situation started improving. However, a health alert continues to remain in the state.

The first case of Coronavirus was confirmed in the state on January 30, following which it was declared a state calamity on February 3. Of the 74 people who returned from Wuhan, only three persons have tested negative for the virus.

As of Tuesday, 3,252 people are under observation in the state of whom 34 are being treated in isolation wards, while others are home quarantined. Shailaja said the condition of all those admitted in hospitals are stable. The mandatory quarantine period by the health department is 28 days.

Kerala has a large number of students in China, especially in Wuhan, and a lot of people also frequently visit the country for their business.

A total of 345 samples have been sent to NIV of which 326 samples have tested negative, three positive, while the results of the rest are awaited.