Coronavirus: 2 positive cases detected in Delhi, Telangana
Amid a global novel coronavirus outbreak, India's Ministry of Health has confirmed two positive cases. The Ministry said that the two cases have been detected in New Delhi and Telangana. Earlier, India had detected three confirmed cases of the disease in Kerala, all of whom have recovered and have been discharged. Here are more details.
'Both patients stable; being closely monitored'
A notification from the Ministry of Health on Monday stated that one positive case of the novel coronavirus disease, called COVID-19, has been detected in New Delhi. The person had a travel history from Italy. A second case has been detected in Telangana involving a person with travel history from Dubai. "Both the patients are stable and being closely monitored," the Ministry said.
3 confirmed cases in Kerala recovered after treatment
India had reported its first case of COVID-19 from Kerala in January. The patient was a medical student studying in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak. Subsequently, two other cases of the disease were detected in the state. By late February, all three patients—located in Thrissur, Alappuzha, and Kasaragod—had recovered from the disease after treatment and were discharged from hospitals.
Man initially suspected of coronavirus infection died in Kerala
Separately, a man—initially suspected to be a COVID-19 patient—died in Kerala on Saturday. He had returned from coronavirus-hit Malaysia. Although pneumonia and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome were the cause of death, he was cremated per World Health Organization (WHO) protocol as a precautionary measure.
Coronavirus global death toll crosses 3,000; most deaths in China
The current viral outbreak involves a new strain of coronavirus, called SARS-CoV-2. The virus was first detected in China's Wuhan mid-December and has since spread to at least 50 other countries. The disease caused by the virus, COVID-19, impacts a host's respiratory system and causes flu-like symptoms. The disease has killed 3,048 people (mostly in mainland China) and sickened over 89,000 globally.
India brought back citizens stuck in China, on Japanese cruise
Since the outbreak, India has evacuated citizens stuck in worse-off regions. Hundreds of Indians were evacuated from China in a series of flights over the past month. In the most recent evacuation, India repatriated 76 of its citizens on Thursday from Wuhan. Separately, 119 Indians were evacuated from a cruise quarantined off Japan's coast. The evacuees have been isolated at quarantine camps in Delhi.
