Hyderabad: A student from the city, who had returned from a medical college in Wuhan, tested negative for the deadly new coronavirus strain that has spread to many countries from China.
The student’s sample was sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, for testing on Wednesday. The negative report was received on Friday, an official from the health department told Deccan Chronicle.
Despite the negative report, the student continues to be in a government hospital under observation, officials said.
The student is doing his MBBS in a college in Wuhan, officials said. After he developed fever symptoms, and given his recent travel history, he was admitted in the government hospital and his samples taken by road.
Experts say that its spread is largely local. “The history of coronavirus shows it will multiply in human bodies and spread faster,” said Dr Subakar Kandi, senior chest specialist.
According to them, coronavirus spreads when the human body sheds the virus during coughing, breathing heavily or sneezing. These are the modes of human to human transmission.
It also spreads when a person coughs and sneezes on the surface around them. Touching that same surface allows the virus to enter the body. After touching an infected site, hands are used to eat, drink water or simply rubbing one’s body, which gives the virus a gateway to the body.
“In children it stays for 14 days, in adults for a week, and in pregnant women and those above 65 years it is virulent, which means it can shed from their body faster as it is in large numbers in the body. This helps to spread fast.”
Coronavirus survives in the cold climatic conditions. It spreads when there are many available human hosts. Thus, isolation is recommended for infected patients to prevent the virus from spreading.
“Coronavirus is known to mutate and is notorious for acquiring new qualities,” senior microbiologist and infectious disease specialist Dr Mustufa Afzal said.
“So the symptoms must be noted. With this virus, after cough and cold there are also breathing difficulties,” Mr Afzal said.
