Hyderabad Airport on alert as Corona virus claims one life in China

Hyderabad: As the presence of Corona virus has been confirmed in China, airports in India are on high alert so as to prevent the transmission of the disease further.

The Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Hyderabad on Tuesday began thermal screening of passengers coming from Hong Kong. Although Hyderabad does not have a direct flight from China, passengers travel via the flight from Hong Kong, will be scanned at the airport.

“These thermal scanners are shaped like a TV, and they will help to detect the presence of the corona virus, following symptoms like fever, cough and running nose. Passengers will be scanned once they alight,” said Dr. Anuradha Reddy, head of Airport Health Organization.

As of now, no suspected or confirmed cases have been detected at the Hyderabad airport.

She further added that several precautions have been taken so as to prevent panic among the passengers.

“If any suspicious cases are found, their samples will be taken to the specialized lab in Pune for investigation and detailed diagnosis. We have asked airlines to give out self-declaration forms from which we can get an idea of the places of origin of passengers.”

Scanning began on Monday at Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kochi airports.

Meanwhile, World Health Organisation (WHO) had called for an emergency meeting regarding the Corona crisis in China, where it has already claimed one life and has affected 41 others.

The Corona virus, which was first discovered in China in 2002, has been a cause of alarm since it may lead to a life-threatening pneumonia. The disease killed nearly 650 people across mainland China and Hong Kong in 2002-2003.