New Delhi, January 27: Several people have been kept under observation in Mumbai, Kerala, Bihar, Rajasthan and other states in India following screening for a possible exposure to novel coronavirus (nCoV). All people, who have been admitted to hospitals, had recently returned from China, where the deadly virus has killed as many as 80 people so far, with 76 in Hubei province.  According to health authorities in China, the number of infected people stands at 2,744 on Monday. Although suspected cases of the virus have been reported in many states, none of them have been tested positives so far. Coronavirus Spreads Beyond China, More to The East: Mapping The SARS-Like Virus Amid Casualties in South Korea, Japan, Thailand.

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. Reports inform that Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said no positive case has been detected in India so far though samples of seven passengers have been sent to the ICMR-NIV Pune lab. China's Coronavirus Symptoms: Here Are Causes and Signs of The Deadly Outbreak.

Coronavirus Scare in Mumbai

In Mumbai, four people were kept under observation over suspicion of possible exposure to the novel coronavirus. On Monday, a latest case surfaced, where the man, a resident of Tardeo in south Mumbai, was kept under watch Kasturba Hospital in the city. On January 25,  three people were admitted in the hospital for possible exposure to the virus strain, after screening of passengers was done at the Mumbai international airport.

Reports inform that as of January 24, about 2,700 passengers had undergone screening at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport since January 19 after an outbreak of new coronavirus was reported in China's Wuhan city.

Coronavirus Scare in Bihar

The first case of the suspected coronavirus was reported from Bihar on Monday. This led to a scare across the state and neighbouring states including Uttar Prdesh, particularly Gorakhpur and Odisha. A girl from Chapra in Saran district of the state, who recently returned from China, was admitted to hospital after she showed symptoms similar to that of the deadly flu-like virus. The patient was later taken to Patna where she was admitted at PMCH.

Coronavirus Scare in Kerala

As many as 288 people in the southern state were under surveillance over suspicion of the flu-like virus. Health Minister K.K. Shailaja asserted that there was no reason for any concern.  Of these 288 persons, seven are admitted in various state hospitals whereas the rest have been advised rest at home.

Reports inform that one person each from Thrissur, Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta and Malappuram and three from Ernakulam are in the isolation wards of various health centres in the state. Officials said that they have mild symptoms and their blood samples and respiratory specimen samples have been sent to to the National Institute of Virology in Pune.

Coronavirus Scare in Rajasthan

A case of  suspected coronavirus infection has surfaced from Rajasthan where a man in his 20s has been admitted to the SMS Hospital. Medical Superintendent Dr D.S. Meena confirmed the incident. The patient is vbelieved to have pursued a medical degree in China but had come to Jaipur for a postgraduation course. Health Minister Raghu Sharma has directed health officials to keep the patient in an isolation ward and get his family screened too.

Coronavirus Scare in Telangana

A new case has surfaced from Telangana where four people in Hyderabad have been suspected of being infected with deadly novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). All the four individuals have recently visited China. Dr Shankar, Superintendent, Govt Fever Hospital, informed that four people who flew down from China have been put under observation in an isolation ward on suspicion of Coronavirus infection at Government Fever Hospital.

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has began its efforts to prevent the disease from entering India. Health Secretary Preeti Sudan reviewed preparedness of the concerned ministries, departments and states regarding coronavirus.

On Monday, Chinese health authorities informed that 80 people have lost their lives due to the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak in the country. According to experts of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that that the virus stems from wild animals on sale at the market.

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 04:54 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).