Coronavirus: Two people, who returned from China, kept under medical observation in Mumbai hospital

In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak in China leading to the death of 26 people, two people who returned from China were kept under medical observation in Kasturba Hospital for possible exposure to the virus, a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) health officer said on Friday. The BMC has created a special isolation ward at the hospital in Chinchpokali south Mumbai.

"The isolation ward has been created for diagnosis and treatment of persons suspected to have the virus infection," Dr Padmaja Keskar, executive health officer of the BMC told news agency PTI. Keskar said the two persons under observation at the hospital have a mild cough and exhibited cold-related symptoms.

At least 1,789 passengers underwent thermal screening at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai for the coronavirus since January 19. Till now, no cases of coronavirus infection have been detected during screening, a health department official told PTI. "No passenger with history of a visit to Wuhan city of China in the last 14 days was found positive (for the virus) during thermal scanning," he said.

China ramped up measures to contain a virus that has killed 26 people and infected more than 800, suspending public transport in 10 cities, shutting temples over the Lunar New Year and even closing the Forbidden City and part of the Great Wall.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the new coronavirus an emergency for China but stopped short of declaring the epidemic of international concern. While most of the cases and all of the deaths have been in China, the virus has been detected in Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the United States. It was highly likely Britain also had cases, a health official said.