Covid-19 infects over 60 countries, newer regions report fresh cases and deaths

New Delhi: With the fast spread of coronavirus (Covid-19) over 60 countries remained affected as on Sunday with newer regions reporting deaths and more cases of the deadly virus.

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While Rhode Island, a US state in New England confirmed the state’s first case of COVID-19 on Sunday, death toll in Italy increased to 34. Similarly, Czech Republic reported its first Covid-19, Lebanon, Qatar reported fresh cases, the death toll in Iran has scaled to 54.

Amidst fears of the deadly virus, in India only three cases were found positive in Kerala who had a travel history to China. According to ministry of health and family welfare, they all have been cured and discharged earlier this month. 

As many as 842 evacuees from Japan ship are under observation.

The reports of the death of a 36-year-old patient in Kerala due to coronavirus were negated by the Kerala Health Minister K.K. Shailaja on Sunday, citing his test reports affirming he had pneumonia and he tested negative for Covid-19.

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The patient was admitted to the Government Medical College in Ernakulam after returning from Malaysia and died of pneumonia, Shailaja told reporters.

According to the Johns Hopkins university’s live tracker of the disease, at least 87,470 people remained affected with the virus, mostly in China, and over 2,990 have died of the disease across the globe. At least 3,526 cases have been reported from South Korea and 1,128 from Italy.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said that the epidemics in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Italy and the Republic of Korea demonstrate what this virus is capable of, but this virus is not influenza. WHO said the continued increase in the number of cases and the number of affected countries over the last few days are a cause of concern. But with the right measures it can be contained.

The apex health agency further said that there are several countries that have not reported a case for more than two weeks; Belgium, Cambodia, India, Nepal, Philippines, the Russian Federation, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. “Each of these countries is different and each shows that aggressive early measures can prevent transmission before the virus gets a foothold,” the WHO officials said in a press conference on Friday.

Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday reached out to the External Affairs Minister for taking necessary steps and making arrangements of safe return of several fishermen, mainly from Kerala who are trapped in Iran due to the virus scare. "When contacted by state government officials, it has been stated by the persons trapped in Azalur that more than hundred persons are there out of which around 60 are reported to be from Kerala," Vijayan said.

The WHO on Friday increased the assessment on the risk of spread and the risk of impact of COVID-19 to very high at a global level. Public health experts have called a for a strict vigil on the situation in India with compromised health infrastructure and shortage of medical staff coupled with other conditions.

”It is a worry for India. We are a large country of over 1.2 billion people and the infectivity rate of this virus is currently very very high. It can spread easily from people who have no symptoms, they could be shedding it too - as asymptomatic carriers,” said

Vivek Nangia, Head of the department and Director, Dept of Pulmonology, Fortis Flt. Lt. Rajan Dhall Hospital.

“We are a densely populated country where people don’t have access to testing facilities and healthcare access. Other countries have been able to lock down cities but that’s not possible here. So we need to take all possible measures to prevent it from entering the country,” he said.