Kerala reports India's 1st confirmed case of nCoV

The patient, who returned from Wuhan, has been kept in isolation at a Thrissur hospital and is stable. Representation pic

Thiruvananthapuram: A positive case of novel Coronavirus (nCoV) has been detected in Kerala's Thrissur district and the patient kept in an isolation ward. Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja said the woman has been kept in isolation at General Hospital.

The woman had returned from Wuhan in China and is in a stable condition.

"Twenty samples were sent for tests out of which one was found to be positive," said Shailaja, adding that health officials were awaiting a result of one more test - Gene sequencing - only after which it can be conclusively stated that the patient was affected with the virus. The health department said 1053 people are under surveillance, 15 people in isolation wards and 1038 under home quarantine, ANI reported.

'Fear spread to J&K'
A doctors' body on Thursday warned that there was a potential threat of Coronavirus spreading to Kashmir as tourists from around the world visit the valley.

"Many countries have direct air travel with Kashmir. So the coronavirus may come to Kashmir by that way and we have to take care before it is too late," President of the Doctors Association of Kashmir) Suhail Naik. Naik said although no case of coronavirus has been reported in the valley yet, the government needs to be prepared for any emergency.

1,053
No. of people under surveillance in Kerala

First evacuation flight leaves today

India is preparing to bring back its nationals stranded in China's worst-affected central Hubei province. "We are preparing for air evacuation from Wuhan tomorrow [Friday] in the evening," Indian Embassy in Beijing said. The first flight will carry those Indian nationals who are in and around Wuhan, and another will subsequently bring back those who are in other parts of Hubei province. China on Thursday said it is closely watching the report about one confirmed case of the Coronavirus in India, and assured cooperation to the Indian side in jointly strengthening the epidemic prevention and control.

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