Coronaviruses can cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases, including the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Earlier, coronavirus had wreaked havoc twice in the form of SARS in 2002 and MERS in 2012.
Countries, including Singapore, had contained the spread of the virus through 'non-medical public health intervention'. This is the system that needs to be implemented in Kerala too now as India's first case of coronavirus infection has been reported from the state.
Here are the ways to go about fighting the risk posed by coronavirus:
• Identify all the people coming from China and closely monitor them for any symptoms. Not even one person should be missed. As the only source of the virus is in China, the virus would reach India only from China.
• The Thrissur student, who has been confirmed of coronavirus infection, did not seek medical assistance. When healthcare personnel checked up on all those who had returned from China, they identified this student and subsequent tests confirmed the virus infection. To avoid such a situation in future, those who have returned from China should be forthcoming and appraise the health department.
• If you think you have been infected with the virus, stay in isolation until the symptoms are evident. Place yourself under home quarantine.
• Use a mask if suffering from cough. The patient and relatives should frequently wash their hands and face with soap. Do no rub your face with the hands unnecessarily.
• If symptoms are found, do not directly head to the nearby hospital OP or intensive care unit. Contact the health department's help-line number. They will inform after the necessary precautions have been taken. Only after this, the patient should be taken to the hospital.
• If taken in normal vehicles, co-travellers might also get infected. Therefore, a specially-equipped ambulance of the health department would arrive to take the patient.
• The patient would be admitted to the isolation ward at the hospital to prevent other patients from getting infected.
• Then the blood samples will be sent for examination to confirm the disease. Meanwhile, treatment will be started. The Kerala government has stated that arrangements would be made in Alappuzha to check for the disease.
(The author is chief of Critical Care Medicine at the Baby Memorial Hospital (BMH), Kozhikode. He was also a member of the team that identified Nipah in Kerala in 2018.)
