Couple with suspected coronavirus admitted to Odisha’s SCB hospital

Cuttack: An Uttar Pradesh-based couple with suspected coronavirus disease (COVID-19) symptoms was admitted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. Earlier in the day, the couple was detained at the Paradip port after disembarking a ship from Singapore. Later a team of doctors conducted health check-up of the couple at the port.

Samples of the couple will be sent to National Institute of Virology in Pune for tests.

SCBMCH emergency officer B N Maharana said the couple has been admitted to the isolation ward meant for suspected coronavirus patients. Their blood and swab samples will be collected, he said.

Authorities of Paradip port collected detailed information about the couple’s travel history and then allowed them to disembark the ship, said an official.

“One of the crew members is suffering from fever. There can be many reasons as the cause of the fever. As a precautionary step, we kept the person under isolation and have shifted him to SCB Medical College and Hospital,” Prahallad Panda, Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Paradip Port Hospital, said.

On the other hand, authorities of Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar made it mandatory for passengers to undergo health check-up.

Health Minister Naba Das said the State government is fully prepared to tackle any situation arising out of coronavirus. Both the Bhubaneswar and Jharsuguda airports have been kept under strict vigil, he added.

As on Monday, 15 travellers who returned from coronavirus-affected countries after January 15 have been identified and kept under home quarantine, said a health official.