First suspected case of novel coronavirus in north India reported in Chandigarh

The first suspected case of coronavirus in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh was reported in Chandigarh, with the admission of a 28-year- old man in the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), a couple of days ago.

According to the PGI authorities, the patient, who is said to be a banker, himself came to this premier health care institute for treatment.

The patient, who hails from Uttar Pradesh but lives in Mohali, had returned from China last week. He has been admitted to the isolation ward of PGI after showing novel coronavirus-like symptoms.

The patient complained of fever and respiratory discomfort, said Dr Gagandeep Singh, State Programme Officer, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, Punjab.

The official spokesperson of the PGI said that the patient has been kept in an isolation ward and is under observation. His samples have been sent to Pune-based National Institute of Virology, he added.

The family of the patient has been contacted by Mohali health authorities, the official said, adding they have not shown any such symptoms.

With the reporting of a suspected coronavirus patient in the PGI, the state governments of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh Administration are on their toes.

Meanwhile, the State Surveillance Unit (SSU), Chandigarh, has issued an advisory regarding novel Coronavirus (nCoV) to hotels and guest houses located in Union Territory of Chandigarh to maintain a record and immediately report all visitors from Wuhan, Hubei Province in China, other provinces of China, Thailand, Japan and South Korea for any suspected case of the coronavirus.

The authorities concerned have already installed scanners at the International Airport in Amritsar while International Airport, Chandigarh, is yet to install the scanners.

Novel coronavirus is from a large family of viruses that causes illnesses ranging from common cold to acute respiratory syndromes, but the virus that has so far killed 106 people and affected over 4,000 in China is a novel strain and has not been seen before.