Suspected coronavirus patient in Odisha tests negative

Suspected coronavirus patient in Odisha has tested negative and has been discharged from a state-run hospital in Cuttack, authorities of the medical institution said on Sunday.

Earlier, two medical students admitted to the hospital had also tested negative, they said.

The remaining patient, who was admitted to the coronavirus isolation special ward of the SCB Medical College and Hospital, was discharged on Saturday after reports from Pune's National Institute of Virology verified he was not infected, hospital authorities said.

The person, who hails from Jagatsinghpur district, is an engineer working with a Beijing-based firm and had recently visited Hong Kong, they said.

He was admitted to the hospital after he showed symptoms of novel coronavirus, the authorities said.

The state government has set up a special isolation ward with 84 beds in the hospital to treat patients suspected to be infected by the novel coronavirus.

A three-member central team had on Thursday visited the hospital and inspected the facilities available for the treatment of suspected novel coronavirus patients in Odisha, officials said.

The team had also visited Paradip Port, Biju Patnaik International Airport and another hospital in Bhubaneswar to check whether arrangements have been made as per guidelines of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, they added.