How India Is Dealing With The Deadly Epidemic of Coronavirus

Coronavirus which was initially found in Wuhan, China is spreading around the world. It has killed 2,592 people and infected 77,150 people in China as per reports. India, like 21 other countries, is also not immune to the deadly Coronavirus. Here is how India is dealing with the epidemic.

Some Takeaways:

• Initially, three medical students undergoing medical training in China tested positive. All three of them are from Kerala.
• As per the statement of Indian embassy 454 tested positive out of a total of 3,711 people on the Diamond Princess cruise. A total of 138 Indians were on board, Out of which 132 are crew members while six are passengers.
• Health Minister Harsh Vardhan told CNBC "We started taking action on this in the middle of January, at least two weeks before the World Health Organization declared it as an emergency of international concern."

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What is happening in India

Currently, passengers are screened at 21 designated airports in the country for possible exposure to the novel coronavirus. These passengers are from China, Hong Kong, Thailand, South Korea, Singapore and Japan. India will also start screening passengers coming in from Kathmandu, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia soon.

Initially, three medical students who were undergoing medical training in China tested positive. All three of them are from Kerala. All of the 654 Indians evacuated from Wuhan tested negative. More than 1,700 people were tested.

The Indian Government is making arrangements to bring back people on-board Diamond Princess cruise. A total of 138 Indians were on board. Out of which 132 were crew members while six are passengers. As per the statement of Indian embassy 454 tested positive out of a total of 3,711 people on the cruise.  As per the Economic Times, the condition of eight Indians on the cruise ship is improving as the last batch of healthy passengers was set to disembark the vessel on Friday after the quarantine period ended.

"We are sure that (if) we could handle Ebola in 2014, (if) we could handle other diseases, we can handle this coronavirus quite well."

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan told CNBC "We started taking action on this in the middle of January, at least two weeks before the World Health Organization declared it as an emergency of international concern." He further added, "We’ve got very good coordination with all our state governments. The whole issue is being monitored at the highest level in the country and also with the state governments." He also said that around 15,000 people are kept under watch as a matter of abundant precaution. He further said, "We are sure that (if) we could handle Ebola in 2014, (if) we could handle other diseases, we can handle this coronavirus quite well."

As a measure, local airline flights, including Air India are not scheduling flights to China. India also imposed restrictions on the export of certain medical equipment to China. India took the precautions in accordance with the World Health Organisation's (WHO) advisory for the coronavirus outbreak.

Basic Measures to Protect Against Coronavirus

WHO advises washing hands regularly with alcohol-based hand rub or with soap and water. This will help to kill the virus that may be on your hands. Further, maintain a distance of at least three-feet from anyone who is coughing or sneezing. If you are too close to a person who is coughing or sneezing, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person is infected.

WHO also advises avoiding touching eyes, nose and mouth. As hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Also, make sure that you and the people around you follow a proper respiratory schedule. A proper respiratory schedule means covering nose and mouth while coughing and sneezing.  If you feel unwell, seek medical help.

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Mansi is an Intern at SheThePeople.TV