We are cautious and are continuing the monitoring measures: Minister

A 40-year-old man who returned from China last month was admitted to the isolation ward of the Government Kilpauk Medical College (KMC) Hospital with fever on Tuesday.

According to hospital dean P. Vasanthamani, the patient, a resident of Tambaram, had travelled to China between January 14 and 24. “He approached us, complaining of a mild fever since last night. We admitted him, and he is under observation at the isolation ward. He is stable. Depending on the symptoms, we will take a throat swab on Wednesday and send it for testing,” she said.

Meanwhile, addressing the media, Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar said 9 persons, including a four-member family from China, had tested negative for the novel coronavirus (nCoV). Throat and nasal swabs and blood samples from three more travellers from Wuhan were sent to the King Institute of Preventive Medicine, Guindy, for testing on Tuesday, and the results were expected in a day or two, he added. Of the 9 samples, four were sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, and five were tested at the King Institute, he said. The family from China is currently under observation at the government medical college hospital, Coimbatore.

“So far, the throat and nasal swabs and blood samples lifted from 21 persons have returned negative for coronavirus. There is no case of coronavirus in Tamil Nadu,” the Minister said.

With Kerala reporting three positive cases of nCoV and declaring it a State calamity, he said, “We are extremely cautious and are continuing our monitoring measures. We are taking adequate measures, including checks at the entry points along the border areas of Kerala and Tamil Nadu such as in Coimbatore and Theni.”

As per an advisory from the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, a separate aerobridge for travellers from China and an exclusive screening team for them were in place at Chennai airport, he said.

The Minister said there were adequate beds at isolation wards in government medical college hospitals.

Private hospitals had been informed about treatment protocols through the Indian Medical Association, he said. Health Secretary Beela Rajesh said traffic police had been advised to avoid the re-use of straws in breathalysers.