Thiruvananthapuram, January 27: With more than seven suspects of deadly novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) being kept under observation in state, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to bring back stranded Indian nationals from Wuhan in China. Vijaynan, also sought PM to make an arrangement to airlift Indians from Wuhan through a nearby functional airport.

Addressing his concern to PM Modi, the Kerala CM wrote, "I am sharing the concern of Kerala on the situation which has arisen in Wuhan province of People's Republic of China following the outbreak of Corona virus. I have already written to External Affairs Minister on 24.01.2020 requesting steps to have a comprehensive assessment of the emerging situation and to provide necessary assistance to the people of Indian origin most of whom are students of Wuhan University." Coronavirus Scare in India: Suspected Patients Kept Under Observation, Several States Including Maharashtra, Bihar, Telangana Report Fresh Cases.

Adding on, he wrote, "On behalf of the State of Kerala, I would like to offer assistance of medical professional from our side in case the Indians being evacuated from Wuhan are to be medically attended to." The Kerala CM also sought PM Modi to consider operating a special flight to Wuhan/a nearby functional airport and airlift the Indian nationals stranded there and bring them back to India.

Here's the ANI tweet:

It is to be known that several people have been kept under observation in Mumbai, Kerala, Bihar, Rajasthan and other states in India following screening for a possible exposure nCoV. Close to 29,700 passengers have been screened at Indian airports for novel coronavirus infection, that has caused panic and fear in China. On Saturday, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) reviewed India's preparedness to deal with any situation amid mounting global concern over rising cases of the virus in China.

Though no positive case has been detected in India so far, samples of seven passengers have been sent to the ICMR-NIV Pune lab. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan had also asked the state governments to make proper arrangements in hospitals to deal with the crisis. Coronavirus Scare in Telangana: Three People From Hyderabad, Who Returned From China, Suspected of Being Infected With Virus. 

Meanwhile, scientists identified two possible main causes of the spread of Coronavirus. First is the consumption of wildlife such as bats in Wuhan and second is the potential leak of virus. According to WHO, Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 27, 2020 05:25 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).