India reports second coronavirus case from Kerala; condition of both patients stable

India on Sunday reported a second case of vel coronavirus with ar person from Kerala, who recently returned from China, testing positive for infection. condition of both patients was stated to be 'stable' and t serious, officials said.

second patient is also a student from Wuhan in China, epicentre of epidemic. patient h returned to Kerala on January 24, state government said. country's first vel coronavirus case was reported from Thrissur in Kerala on Thursday with a woman medical student who returned from Wuhan testing positive for infection.

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Confirming second case, Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja said condition of student, currently mitted to isolation ward at Alapuzha Medical College Hospital, was "stable". Earlier in day, minister said in Kollam that state was awaiting results of tests conducted on patient from National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune.

"w, we have got test report of patient. re is a positive case in Alapuzha," she told reporters here on Sunday evening after chairing a high-level meeting with senior health department officials. first patient, a woman medical student, is in an isolation ward at Thrissur medical college hospital. "We are trying to ensure that virus does t spre. two patients, who have tested positive for virus, are stable. ir condition is t serious. But we are monitoring m closely," she said. Since coronavirus outbreak in China, Kerala, which is thickly populated, has been on high alert as a large number of students from state are studying in University of Wuhan.

Kerala health minister said y h started process to identify people who may have come in contact two virus-infected patients. She said police were helping in process.

With second case being reported from state, people need to be more vigilant and follow all precautionary measures, Shailaja said. A meeting with officials of private hospitals in Thrissur was held and y have kept aside around 87 beds for isolation wards. A similar exercise was required to be undertaken here in view of need to arrange maximum number of beds (to meet contingencies), she said. She said those who have returned from virus-affected areas of China, besides Sri Lanka and Nepal, must inform health department as y will have to be home quarantined for 28 days.

"We would like to keep m under quarantine for double duration of incubation period of virus. We have followed same protocol earlier during Nipah, chikungunya and H1N1 outbreak". Those under observation at home should keep away from public functions and should t participate in any events during incubation period.

Till date, a total of 1,793 people, who travelled from coronavirus-affected countries, have been identified and placed under surveillance in state. Of this, as many as 70 have been mitted to isolation facilities and ors are under home isolation, a medical bulletin h said on Saturday.

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