Ajmer couple kept in isolation ward on suspicion of coronavirus

After two cases of coronavirus tested positive in Kerala, a couple in Ajmer, who returned from China on January 28, has been kept in isolation at a hospital after they complained of cold and cough, as a preventive measure against the deadly virus.District Health Officer KK Soni said, "Their samples are being sent to Jaipur. A team will be sent to screen their family too."

India, on Sunday reported the second case of novel coronavirus with another person from Kerala, who recently returned from China, testing positive for the infection. The condition of both patients was stated to be 'stable' and not serious, officials said.

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The second patient is also a student from Wuhan in China, the epicenter of the epidemic. The patient had returned to Kerala on January 24, the state government said. The country's first novel coronavirus case was reported from Thrissur in Kerala on Thursday with a woman medical student who returned from Wuhan testing positive for the infection.

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Second Coronavirus case of India

Confirming the second case, Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja said the condition of the student, currently admitted to the isolation ward at the Alapuzha Medical College Hospital, was "stable". Earlier in the day, the minister said in Kollam that the state was awaiting the results of tests conducted on the patient from the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune.

The Kerala health minister said they had started the process to identify people who may have come in contact with the two virus-infected patients. She said police were helping in the process.

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With the second case being reported from the state, people need to be more vigilant and follow all precautionary measures, the health minister added. A meeting with officials of private hospitals in Thrissur was held and they have kept aside around 87 beds for isolation wards.

The death toll of the deadly Coronavirus has surged to 360 in China's Hubei province, the epicenter of the virus, reported the local health commission on Monday. It also reported 56 news fatalities, with an additional 2,829 new cases over the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 17,205 in China.

(With ANI inputs)

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