Phulbani: A suspected case of coronavirus detection from Phulbani area has prompted the Kandhamal district administration to take a slew of measures to assuage the fear among the public pertaining to the disease.
The administration has gone on to initiate an awareness campaign to make people aware about the disease. Several posters creating awareness about the disease, its symptoms and preventive measures were seen put up at various places across the district Sunday. This apart, the administration has also pressed a van equipped with public address system into service to create awareness and warn people against the deadly coronavirus.
Chief district medical officer (CDMO) Dr Rajashree Patnaik said they have also launched the awareness drive in rural pockets of the district. “In villages, ASHAs and other health workers are creating awareness about the disease by distributing leaflets,” she said.
“The China-returned MMBS student, meanwhile, has been admitted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. His blood sample will be sent to National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune. If he is tested positive, then blood samples will be collected from all those in his family who had come in contact with him before his self-declaration and sent for test,” CDMO Pattanayak added.
It may be mentioned here that the suspected victim had been pursuing his MBBS at Southwest Medical University in China’s Sichuan province and had returned to India January 11. After noticing his fever accompanied with cough and cold not subsiding even after a week, he approached the Kandhamal chief district medical officer (CDMO) seeking medical attention and informed him of his Chinese connection. He was admitted at Kandhamal district headquarters hospital (DHH) Friday and was shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack as there is no facility at Kandhamal DHH to attend to suspected cases of coronavirus.