Jamshedpur health department sounds alert on ‘China coronavirus’, surveillance up

Jamshedpur, Jan 28: The Health Department has sounded an alert across the district increasing the surveillance of suspects against the deadly �China virus� taking toll on people.  

East Singhbhum district civil surgeon, Maheshwar Prasad asked nodal officer of integrated disease surveillance programme (IDSP) to start collecting reports from the health hubs and hospitals to ensure whether there is any patient having symptoms of being affected with the coronavirus.

Speaking about the common symptoms of the corona infection, the civil surgeon said at onset of illness are fever, cough  and  fatigue, the symptoms which are common here in India but later on causes severe respiratory problems.

�We have sounded civil surgeons in all districts to keep a check on the respiratory infections and monitor and report the suspected cases,� said an official. The department clarified that those under surveillance would be those having symptoms like fever, breathing problems and others. It also added that no positive case has been in the state till now.

The Health Ministry and National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) have issued a tripartite advisory to all states and union territories following alert by the WHO this week.

“We have put the IDSP nodal officer to start a routine checking of the hospital, nursing-homes and other health hubs to see if any patient is suspected to have been infected with the coronavirus,” said Prasad.

The civil surgeon said as the corona virus is air-borne, the people who use to take flights for travelling abroad and even to the metro cities will have to take extra precautions like using a mask.

” As our information the infection spread through sneezing or coughing, the best way for saving oneself from the disease is wearing masks as a precautionary measure though the people should not panic.  We have not any suspected case of corona infection in the district,” said Prasad.

Moreover, people have also started taking precautionary measures against the killer virus which is spreading unabatedly.

Sources at the district civil surgeon�s office revealed that Railway Hospital in Khasmahal, Tata Main Hospital, Tata Motors Hospital, Mercy Hospital and MGM Medical College and Hospital had been asked to keep an eye on patients as a precautionary step. The health department has also provided the workers of MGM Medical College and Hospital and other health centres with other necessary instructions.