Coronavirus: Tamil Nadu to step up surveillance along Kerala border

Health teams to conduct screening at checkposts in five districts

Tamil Nadu is stepping up its surveillance of coronavirus along the Kerala border. Public health teams will be screening persons coming from Kerala at various checkposts in five districts after the neighbouring State confirmed the first case of coronavirus on Thursday.

Health Secretary Beela Rajesh said the department had upscaled surveillance, and public health teams would conduct screening at various check posts in five districts that share border with Kerala — Coimbatore, Nilgiris, Kanyakumari, Tirupur and Tirunelveli.

Two in hospital

The Minister said two persons, who had returned from China, were admitted to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) and Government Tiruvannamalai Medical College Hospital for observation. But they have no symptoms of coronavirus, he added.

"As of now, we have advised 242 travellers from China to be under home quarantine," he added.

One of the persons admitted, a 40-year-old woman from Selaiyur, returned from Dongguan in south China. She had approached the outpatient department of the Government Hospital, Chromepet, with complaints of muscle pain and fever, RGGGH authorities said.

"She had returned from China last night, and approached the GH this morning. From there, she was brought to the RGGGH and admitted to the isolation ward. An expert team of doctors examined her and found no symptoms of coronavirus. We have admitted her for observation alone. There is no need to lift samples for testing," R. Jayanthi, dean of RGGGH, told reporters.

Supportive care

She added supportive care would be given for n-CoV.

It is like H1N1 influenza. Extremes of age — children and elderly, persons with co-morbid conditions and those under immunosuppressive therapy — should take precautions. There is no need to panic," she added.