India reports first Coronavirus case in Kerala

India reported its first positive case of Novel Coronavirus (nCoV) on Thursday. The ministry of health and family welfare in an official statement said that a student studying in Wuhan University, has been tested positive in Kerala.

"The patient has tested positive for Novel Coronavirus and is in isolation in the hospital. The patient is stable and is being closely monitored," the statement said. According to ministry of health and family welfare, States and union territories have started the thermal and symptomatic screening at all identified Airports.

Indian government has said that it is prepared to handle any outbreak in the country. "Thermal screening sensors are operational and few more such equipmentis being procured. The immigration and other staff members at the Airports have been sensitized and dedicated ambulances are placed at the Airports. Deployment of medical & para-medical staff is also being done for round-the-clock service," an official statement said.

Hospitals have made isolation wards and readied to face any contingency. Personal Protection Equipments and masks are available in adequate quantity in all the States/UTs," the government said.

"Human coronaviruses can cause mild disease similar to a common cold, while others more severe disease (such as MERS, SARS). Some coronaviruses that are found in animals can infect humans can infect humans– these are known as zoonotic diseases," said Jugal Kishore, Director Professor & Head of Department-Community Medicine, Vardhman Mahavir Medical College (VMMC) and Safdarjung Hospital (Ministry of Health & Family Welfare) New Delhi.

"As there is no vaccine or drug available against the virus, the cases are managed according to their symptomatology. NCoV is fatal but exact fatality is not estimated and how virus will behave in the new population is also not known. Therefore, prevention and strict surveillance is very important in India," he said.

The Ministry of Ayush has also come up with an advisory to boost immunity to keeping any illnesses at bay in wake of the corona virus spread across the world.

The Emergency Committee on the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) under the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) will be reconvened by the World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Thursday.

The Committee will advise the Director-General on whether the outbreak constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), and what recommendations should be made to manage it.