SpiceJet says passenger suspected of coronavirus quarantined at Delhi Airport

A passenger travelling on SpiceJet Ltd’s Bangkok-Delhi flight on Thursday was suspected of coronavirus infection (Covid-19) and has been quarantined at Delhi airport after landing.

“On February 13, 2020, a passenger travelling on SpiceJet flight SG-88 operating between Bangkok and Delhi was suspected of coronavirus infection. He was seated on seat no. 31F and was the only passenger in that row. The said passenger was quarantined by Airport Health Organisation (APHO) after landing in Delhi,” a SpiceJet spokesperson told Mint.

The virus that was first reported in Wuhan, China, in December has been declared a global public health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO).

WHO is working closely with global experts, governments and partners to rapidly expand scientific knowledge on this new virus, to track the spread and virulence of the virus, and to provide advice to countries and individuals on measures to protect health and prevent the spread of this outbreak.

But the virus has proved tricky and has continued to spread at an alarming rate.

As of late Wednesday, health officials in China’s Hubei province reported 242 new deaths and 14,840 new cases of the flu-like virus, according to various reports. The worldwide death toll has now touched at least 1,357 and the number of confirmed cases has crossed 60,000.

WHO has said the first vaccine for the novel coronavirus could be ready in 18 months, adding that preventive measures to stop the spread of the virus will be helpful as of now. The apex global health agency also renamed the coronavirus as COVID-19 to avoid stigma related to any country and region.

China’s senior medical adviser Zhong Nanshan on Tuesday said coronavirus infections may be over by April. He said the number of new cases was falling in some places and held out hope that the epidemic may peak this month.

Source:-Live Mint

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