Northeast states Nagaland and Meghalaya sound Coronavirus alert

In an advisory, the Nagaland Directorate of Health and Family Welfare has asked all Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) to be on alert, as it has already spread to many countries, including Nepal and it is of public health concern.

The advisory issued by the Mission Director Dr. Kevichusa Medikhru of the National Health Mission in the Directorate of Health &Family Welfare of Nagaland informed that the Corona Viruses are a large family of viruses that are known to cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The present Coronavirus is a novel Corona Virus, a new strain of Corona Virus that has not been previously identified in humans, it added.

Dr. Medikhru has asked the RRTs to ensure adequate readiness for immediate detection, intervention and mitigation, as and when the need arise.

Dimapur Airport Authority has also been asked to share list of passenger travelling from China and other affected countries transiting Kolkata airport for onward journey to Dimapur with Health and Family Welfare Department for early detection and intervention. Dr. Medikhru, in a letter to AAI Director, said Dimapur District Health Authority would be in touch with Airport Authority of India through the district surveillance unit.

Medical Superintendents of all the districts of Nagaland have been directed to earmark isolation room with ventilator facilities to deal with possible positive cases of the Coronavirus.

Meanwhile, a letter from the Mission Director of National Health Mission, Meghalaya to the Airport Director of Umroi Airport and officers of the State Health Department, alerted authority of the Umroi Airport to contact health officials if there are any passengers coming from Wuhan City of China or travel-related cases having symptoms of fever, cough and respiratory distress to prevent any impending outbreak of Coronavirus.

As many as 106 people in China died by pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) , Chinese health authorities announced on Tuesday.

According to the People's Daily, the largest newspaper group in China, the total number of confirmed cases in the country was 4,515.

China's National Health Commission said in its daily report that 976 patients remained in critical condition, and 6,973 people were suspected of being infected with the virus as of the end of Monday.