Two people in Haryana and another in Punjab with travel history to China have been kept under observation after they showed novel coronavirus-like symptoms, officials said.
A 28-year-old Mohali resident has been admitted to the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh after showing novel coronavirus-like symptoms, an official said on Tuesday.
Two patients in Haryana have been kept under observation, said state Health Minister Anil Vij here.
The health authorities of both states said there was no need to panic, asserting that all the district hospitals were prepared in terms of logistics, isolation wards and ventilator status.
The Mohali resident, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, had returned from China last week and was admitted to the PGIMER on Monday.
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The patient complained of fever and respiratory discomfort, said Dr Gagandeep Singh, State Programme officer, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme.
The patient, who is said to be a banker, himself went to the PGIMER for treatment in Chandigarh, official said.
The patient has been kept in an isolation ward and is under observation, the official said, adding his samples have been sent for testing to the National Institute of Virology, Pune.
The family of the patient has been contacted by the Mohali health authorities, the official said, adding they have not shown any such symptoms.
Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said 16 people in the state had returned from China recently.
Of them, one was admitted to the PGIMER while the rest 15 had not shown any coronavirus-like symptoms but they would be tracked for 28 days, a health official said.
One child in Amritsar has died of swine flu on Monday, he said.
Sidhu further said, "Advisories have been issued at the Attari-Wagah border and Dera Baba Nanak, asking travellers to get themselves checked at the district hospitals."
The state government has installedthermal sensors at the Amritsar airport for the screening of passengers.
Sensors will also be set up at the Chandigarh international airport.
The minister said the Department of Health was fully aware of the situation and had made adequate arrangements to deal with any emergent situation.
Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij said advisories have been issued to all district hospitals.
"Of five passengers with travel history to China, two have shown symptoms of the coronavirus infection and they have been kept in isolation wards," said Vij, adding that their families were also under observation.
A Chandigarh resident with slight fever was admitted to a private hospital in Mohali, a Punjab health official said, adding that he had not shown coronavirus-like symptoms.
There was no need for his sampling at this stage, yet he was under observation, he further said.
Meanwhile,PGIMERDirector Jagat Ram wrote to Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and UT Chandigarh, urging them not to refer suspected patients to the hospital, instead keep them at isolation wards in their states only.
"If patients of all states come at the PGI, there will be panic," Ram said while talking to media here.
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