'All passengers from Australia, UK, & USA to undergo universal screening' Health Ministry

The Health Ministry of India on Friday announced that all passengers coming from Australia, the United Kingdom, and the USA  will be screened and risk profiled for Coronavirus. On the basis of their risk assessment, the passengers will either be quarantined or isolated. 

The decision has been taken in view of local transmission of the disease in India and considering an increase in the number of cases and deaths reported in the three countries. 

As of March 20, the USA has reported over 16,000 cases of Coronavirus, while more than 219 people have died due to the disease. More than 3,000 people have been infected in the United Kingdom, and over 180 people have lost their lives. On the other hand, Australia has reported 876 cases and 7 deaths have been reported in the country so far. 

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For most people, the new Coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover from the new virus.

According to the World Health Organisation, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.

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USA President approves use of anti-malarial against COVID-19

Addressing a press briefing with the Coronavirus Task Force on Thursday, US President Donald Trump approved the use of anti-malarial drug chloroquine against the novel Coronavirus. He mentioned that chloroquine was used to treat strong arthritis as well. Mentioning that chloroquine had shown very encouraging early results, the US President also revealed that this drug would be made available immediately. 

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Also known as hydroxychloroquine, chloroquine has been used to treat malaria since 1944. Incidentally, three COVID-19 patients in Rajasthan were successfully cured with a combination of swine flu medicines, chloroquine, and HIV drugs. 

Earlier in the day, US government disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said that the United States was still in the "escalation phase" of the Coronavirus outbreak. 

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