7 flyers from UK test coronavirus positive
Cityzenry throw Covid caution to the wind
Hyderabad: Amid reports of a new virus strain spreading fast in the UK, all eyes are on those returning from that country. Officials heaved a sigh of relief for now, as seven flyers who came back from the UK on Monday tested negative for the strain. However, not leaving anything to chance, the health department identified 355 flyers who returned to Hyderabad from the UK between December 15 and 21. All of them are to undergo RT-PCR tests.
Director of Public Health Dr G Srinivas Rao said that those testing positive would be admitted in a hospital for treatment. Even those who test negative would be kept under 7-day quarantine. Whether it will be home or institutional quarentine would be decided shortly. He stated that Centre had instructed States to store samples of positive cases and they would be sent to NIV, Pune, or CCMB here for genome sequencing to cross-check for the presence of new virus strain in it.
Dr Srinivas Rao said that more than 800 beds are available for institutional quarantine in Nature Cure hospital (Begumpet), Ayurveda hospital (Erragadda), Govt Nizamia General Hospital, Govt Homeo Hospital (Ramanthapur).
He also pointed out that the count of UK-returned flyers to be kept under the radar is expected to cross into a few thousands as the Centre had given fresh directions to identify all passengers from November 25 to December 23 and efforts are on to get the passengers data.
Meanwhile, the health department has set up a hotline ( 040-24651119) and passengers with recent travel history to the UK are asked to come forward voluntarily and share their information and details with the health department so that their health condition can be monitored and needful measures could be taken up.
Director of Medical Education K Ramesh Reddy appealed to the people not to get panicky over the new virus strain reports. He observed that mutations in every virus are very normal. The strain in the UK might be spreading fast but it may not be deadly or causing deaths in alarming numbers, he added.