Mangalore, May 30: The health department has set up medical surveillance units at two airports, one in Mangalore and other in Bangalore to screen passengers reported with symptoms of Mers-CoV (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus). The unit started to operate from Thursday, May 29.
At the Mangalore International Airport, passengers arriving from countries such as Sharjah, Doha, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Dubai will be screened for Mers symptoms. Passenger who is found to have such symptoms will be treated immediately.
One doctor, two paramedics and one 108 ambulance are deployed at the airport to examine and take the passenger with Mers symptoms to the hospital it is learnt. The authorities will immediately quarantine the passenger to the hospitals of their choice or to the hospitals earmarked by the department. The department has marked two KMC hospitals, Father Muller, Unity and Yenepoya hosiptals in Mangalore for treatment of Mers patients.
Passengers who suffer from cough, fever, cold and body pains can consult the screening unit for further medical examination. The virus gets transmitted from one person to another through air while sneezing, coughing and also through handshake if the infected person’s hands are unclean.
MERS suspected women, results negetive:
On May 19 a 63-year-old lady was suspected to have symptoms of MERS-CoV. On May 22, she showed symptoms such as cough, fever and cold, following which she was admitted to a private hospital where she was quarantined by the doctor who attended to her. Later it was declared that she was not suffering from the disease and the tests showed negative.
The woman is recovering and is likely to be discharged from the hospital. No suspected cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome have been reported in the district so far.
