Coronavirus Scare In Odisha: MBBS Student From China Referred To SCB

Cuttack: A day after India confirmed its first positive case of the novel coronavirus (nCoV) from Kerala, a student from Phulbani in Odisha was referred to SCB Medical College and Hospital here with symptoms of the disease on Friday.

The student, who was pursuing MBBS in China, had returned home on January 11 and had since been suffering from cold and cough.

Suspecting that he had contracted the virus, he wrote to the Kandhamal CMO, Rajyashree Patnaik, about it.

The CDMO told the media that since they did not have facilities to treat such patients, the student was referred to SCB. “His blood and throat swab samples will sent to Pune-based virology lab for tests and this process will take some time,” she said.

The student said he had been suffering from cold and cough for the past 10 days. He, however, had left China before the outbreak.

Medicine specialist of Phulbani hospital Bidyadhar Panda, said, “He was living near Wuhan province in China. The symptoms exhibited by the student seem more like viral infection.”

Following the first positive case on Thursday, the Centre had announced that all persons who have come from China after January 15 will be tested for the virus, which has an incubation period of 14 days.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared a global emergency for the Coronavirus epidemic.

So far 18 countries, including Japan, Germany, United States, South Korea and India, have reported cases of the coronavirus.