Over 4,800 passengers screened till Jan 28 at Mumbai airport

In the wake of coronavirus outbreak, as many as 4,846 passengers have been screened till January 28 at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai.

Twenty-eight passengers were from Maharashtra out of which 12 had symptoms of mild cough, cold and fever. They were admitted to isolation centres.

The samples of eight patients were tested negative while the results of the remaining four are awaited. Three out of 12 are already discharged from the hospital.

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 novel coronavirus (nCoV) include acute onset of fever, cough, and difficulty in breathing. The infection results in severe complications and even death.

At least 213 people infected with the deadly virus have died in China. The Indian government has also issued a travel advisory, asking people to refrain from traveling to the Asian country.

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