Hospitals to screen all ME arrivals for coronavirus

by Carol Aloysius

The Health Ministry has alerted hospitals islandwide requesting doctors to screen all Middle East arrivals for coronavirus, also known as novel coronavirus (nCov) infection, now spreading in the Middle East.

"Although no cases of coronavirus have been reported yet, we are not taking any chances. We have asked doctors in all the hospitals to screen Middle East returnees as a precautionary method. If a person shows symptoms he or she will be transferred immediately to the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH)", Epidemiology Unit chief, Dr. Paba Palihawadana told the Sunday Observer.

The coronavirus is a severe infection that affects the upper respiratory system with symptoms such as breathing difficulty and severe coughing.

The disease causes respiratory complications such as pneumonia as well as enteric disease. Animals and humans are susceptible to the disease.

The first case of nCov was detected in an adult male in the UK suffering from severe respiratory infection, after having travelled to Saudi Arabia, ten days prior to the onset of the symptoms.

According to the World Health Organisation( WHO) a total of 15 confirmed cases have been detected globally, to date.