No case of coronavirus virus in India, 4,359 passengers screened at airports today

No case of the novel SARS-like coronavirus has been reported yet in India so far, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare while adding that a total of 4,359 passengers arriving from 22 flights were screened for the illness on Sunday.

Last week, the Civil Aviation Ministry had initiated the thermal health screening of passengers arriving from China including Hong Kong at seven Indian airports under the directions of the Union Health Ministry.

These airports include Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin, Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata.

This is being done as a preventive measure against the outbreak of the deadly Novel Corona Virus Disease (nCoV) outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei province of China. All seven identified airports have airport signage displayed boldly at the strategic locations.

The Union Health Ministry today also confirmed that 29,707 passengers from 137 flights have been screened so far.

The novel virus has killed nearly 56 people in China so far and has infected at least 1,975 more. These cases have been reported in 14 provinces including Taiwan and municipalities as well.

The Union Health Ministry has directed travellers to China, in particular, Wuhan city, to monitor their health closely. Travellers have been asked to follow simple public health measures and a good standard of hygiene.

According to WHO, the situation is still evolving and preliminary investigations suggest a link to the seafood market. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, which cause illnesses to people and also circulate in animals including camels, cats, and bats. Rarely, animal coronaviruses can also evolve and infect people.