Amid coronavirus scare, Indian govt advises people to avoid non-essential travel to China

Amid the rising deadly coronavirus scare, the Government of India has issued a travel advisory asking people to refrain from traveling to China.

"In the view of a spurt in Novel Corona Virus Disease (nCoV) cases being reported from China and travel-related cases appearing in many countries, the travelers to China are advised to avoid all non-essential travel to China," an advisory issued by the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry said on Wednesday.

It said that people traveling to China must monitor their health closely.

As a precautionary measure, the thermal screening facilities have been extended to 21 airports now including Gaya, Guwahati, Vizag, Varanasi and Goa.

The steps are being taken as a preventive measure against the outbreak of the deadly Novel Corona Virus Disease (nCoV) outbreak in the city of Wuhan in China's Hubei province where nearly 4,500 cases have been reported and the virus has claimed over 100 live till date.

The Wuhan coronavirus is a new strain of coronavirus that has not been identified before. The exact source of infection of 2019 nCoV is not known yet.

Coronavirus is a large family of viruses that cause respiratory 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).

The symptoms reported in patients with nCoV include acute onset of fever, cough, and difficulty in breathing. The infection results in severe complications and even death.

According to the Union Health Ministry, there are confirmed cases of 2019 nCoV in India so far. Suspected cases are being monitored and identified through disease surveillance.