14 students return from Wuhan to Akola in Maharashtra

Fourteen students who were studying at Wuhan in China, the epicenter of novel coronavirus outbreak, have returned to Akola district in Maharashtra in the last two weeks, health officials said on Friday.

These students were screened at the Mumbai airport and then again at local hospitals, and none of them had symptoms of coronavirus, officials said.

After their return, each of them underwent medical examination at least four times, but none was hospitalised as they did not show infection symptoms.

Speaking to PTI, one of the students who did not wish to be named said a large number of youngsters from the state opt for universities in China for medical education.

Deputy Director of the Health Department Dr Riyaz Farukhi said an isolation ward has been set up at the Government Medical College here for suspected coronavirus patients.

Patients from Akola, Amravati, Buldhana, Yavatmal and Washim districts would be kept in the ward, he said.

Across the state, a dozen people have been admitted to hospitals in Mumbai, Pune, Nanded and Nagpur and kept under observation for possible exposure to the virus.