Two people who returned to Mumbai from China amid Coronavirus scare are being monitored under medical observation in Kasturba Hospital for possible exposure to the virus, PTI reported on Friday.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has created a special isolation ward at the hospital in Chinchpokali south Mumbai. “The isolation ward has been created for diagnosis and treatment of persons suspected to have the coronavirus infection,” said Dr Padmaja Keskar, executive health officer of the BMC.

The deadly new Coronavirus has killed 25 people and infected at least 830 across China, another 177 people elsewhere in the country are critical, the Chinese government said.

As many as 1,789 passengers underwent thermal screening at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport for the contagion since January 19 and two of them, who had travelled to China, were admitted to the civic-run Kasturba Hospital in the city as a precaution. Till now, no cases of coronavirus infection have been detected during screening, according to PTI.

“All private doctors in the city have been asked to alert us (the BMC) if they observe symptoms of the coronavirus in anyone who has returned from China.”

Dr Padmaja Keskar

According to Kasturba Hospital sources, they have received detailed instructions from the Maharashtra government about the coronavirus and how to deal with the illness, and they have been instructed to strictly follow those.

Common symptoms of the novel coronavirus strain include respiratory symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties, according to the WHO. — PTI