A China returned student who had been admitted to Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) last week has tested negative for Coronavirus. But he has tested positive for H1N1 influenza.
Two samples taken from the patients admitted to SKIMS, here,with suspected Coronavirus symptoms were sent for testing on Friday. While oneof the samples was taken from a student who had recently returned from China,the other was of a child who had a recent travel history of Thailand.
An official in SKIMS administration said the result of onethe samples had been received and it was negative for Coronavirus. He addedthat both the patients however had been found positive for H1N1 and werequarantined.
“As per protocol, we have isolated the suspected cases. Bothpatients are being closely monitored,” he said.
The China returned student, he said, had spent two weeks inquarantine at Delhi and was under home quarantine when he reported fever andother symptoms, prompting his admission to the hospital.
With high traffic of people to and from Delhi and otherstates, and Dubai, Iran and other, influenza experts here believe, “Kashmir issusceptible to getting the virus that has claimed over 2000 lives worldwide”.
“It is not the question of if, it is when the Coronaviruswill come to Kashmir,” Prof Parvaiz A Koul, head department of internalmedicine at SKIMS and influenza expert exclaimed.
Warning against ‘lowering guard’, he said Kashmir needed to”intensify its preparedness and isolation facilities”.
On Monday, two fresh cases of Coronavirus—one in Delhi andanother in Telangana— were confirmed in India taking the number of people whohave tested positive for the respiratory virus in the country to five so far.The two had travel history to Italy and Dubai.
Officials in J&K Health and Medical Education (H&ME)Department said, “All preventive measures are being taken and till date 70people who had travelled from Iran to Kashmir January onwards have beenlocated.”
Officer on special duty H&ME said these people werevisited by Rapid Response Teams of the health department and checked up forsymptoms of Coronavirus. “All have been found asymptomatic. They have beenadvised to isolate themselves and RRTs will visit them regularly,” he said.
A team from World Health Organization is set to trainhealthcare personnel from J&K in specialized care for Coronavirus cases.
Meanwhile, J&K Government has issued “self declarationorders” for people returning from Iran, Italy and Korea and set up desks at theairport to examine patients having any of the symptoms.