The Himalaya kingdom of Bhutan has confirmed its first Covid-19 case of a visiting American tourist, the PM’s Office has announced.
The patient is said to be a 76-year-old from the United States of America, who had come to Bhutan on Mar 2 via India in which he originally arrived on Feb 21.
The Bhutanese government immediately imposed a two-week restriction on all incoming tourists. This is to enable rigorous monitoring, source assessment of infection and mitigate the situation. In addition, all international conferences and seminars to be held in the country in the two weeks are also postponed.
Based on the prepared plans, the Bhutanese king personally oversaw implementation of the response strategy, with health officials to take care of the patient.
A resident of Washington DC, the patient was travelling with his partner, aged 59. There were 10 passengers on board the plane, of which eight others were Indian nationals.
At the Paro International Airport, the American patient’s health declaration form was assessed. He had indicated “negative” against all conditions. He did not have a sign of fever.
However, upon reaching Thimph on the afternoon of Mar 5, he visited the medical clinic, complaining of bloaty abdomen (dyspeptic symptoms) and nausea. The patient suffers from chronic hypertension and is on medication. However, even at that time, he did not have any flu symptoms.
The patient and his partner stayed at Le Meridien on the first night. The following day, he stayed indoor most of the time and went to the hospital again around 3.30pm for stomach upset and diarrhea.
The next day, he travelled to Punakha, with two stops on the way for tea and lunch. He had stayed at Densa Boutique Resort. That evening, he had walked until the Bazam next to Punakha Dzong, and returned to the room.
Yesterday, upon returning to Thimphu, he visited clinic again. He was found to have fever, sore throat, cough and shortness of breath. He was kept under observation at the flu clinic (designated COVID-19 hospital) and samples were collected and sent to Royal Centre for Disease Control (RCDC).
Upon confirmation, he has been isolated in the COVID-19 hospital. Considering his age and underlying conditions, the patient is on oxygen support.
At press time, over 90 persons who might have come into his contact have been traced. Health officials and other relevant agencies are in the process of carrying out primary disease management and contact tracing.
Contact tracings were launched as per the patient’s itinerary. It included people he associated with at all the points and stops along the way, starting from Paro airport to Thimphu, to Punakha and back. It included tea stops at Druk Wangyal Café, and lunch at Punakha High School park.
The close contacts were his partner, the driver and the guide. While all three are asymptomatic for now, they have been quarantined at the designated COVID-19 hospital.
The eight Indian passengers have also been quarantined. The government is closely working with the Indian Embassy.
Health ministry has asked the four crew members of the particular flight, and the hotel staff at both Le Meridien and Densa Boutique Resort to “home quarantine”. Which means they should stay home and maintain distance from people, including family members. Until all suspicions are ruled out, health officials will closely monitor and provide all services at respective homes.
Response plan
As per the National Preparedness and Response Plan, with the detection of first confirmed case of COVID-19, the country stepped into “Orange” zone. The zone is defined as having one or more isolated confirmed cases without secondary transmission.
It is described as “moderate disruption”, according to which the government has to isolate confirmed cases, quarantine suspects, carry out closure of schools, institutions and public gatherings in the affected localities.
Per the response plan, the government had announced closure of schools and institutes in Thimphu, Paro and Punakha for two weeks with effect from March 6.
The duration is specified in keeping with the health advisory, which states that people who would have contracted infection from the primary source would develop full-blown infection by then.
Parents are advised to closely monitor the health of the child. Should there be any concern, parents are asked to contact health officials.
The novel coronavirus that causes the disease COVID-19 has spread from the site of the original outbreak in China to affect 75 countries around the world. If effective controls aren’t put into place, COIVID-19 could ultimately infect between 40% and 70% of the population worldwide in the coming year, according to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health epidemiologist Marc Lipsitch.
Most of those cases would be mild, and some people might show no symptoms at all. But the prospect of being infected with a new virus can be frightening. The symptoms to look out for, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are fever, coughing and shortness of breath. These symptoms usually appear between two days and two weeks of exposure to the virus.
According to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, as many as 98% of COVID-19 patients have a fever, between 76% and 82% have a dry cough, and 11% to 44% report exhaustion and fatigue.
The disease appears to become more severe with age, with the 30- to 79-year-old age range predominating the detected cases in Wuhan, where the outbreak began, according to a study in JAMA. Children seem to be at less risk of suffering noticeable symptoms of the disease.
In more serious cases of COVID-19, patients experience pneumonia, which means their lungs begin to fill with pockets of pus or fluid. This leads to intense shortness of breath and painful coughing.
Currently, testing for the virus that causes COVID-19 in the United States is limited to people with severe symptoms, according to Paul Biddinger, the director of the emergency preparedness research, evaluation and practice program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who spoke in a university webcast March 2. This means that it isn’t appropriate to be tested at the first sign of a fever or sniffle. Seeking medical care for mild illness can also potentially transmit that illness, or lead to catching new illnesses in the hospital or clinic, Biddinger added.
If you become ill with these symptoms and live in or have traveled to an area where COVID-19 is spreading, which now includes parts of the U.S., the CDC recommends calling your doctor first rather than traveling to a clinic. Physicians work with state health departments and the CDC to determine who should be tested for the new virus. However, the CDC also recommends that people with COVI-19 or any respiratory illness monitor their symptoms carefully. Worsening shortness of breath is reason to seek medical care, particularly for older individuals or people with underlying health conditions. The CDC information page has more information on what to do if you are sick.
What to know about coronaviruses
Coronaviruses are types of viruses that typically affect the respiratory tracts of birds and mammals, including humans. Doctors associate them with the common cold, bronchitis, pneumonia, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and they can also affect the gut.
These viruses are typically responsible for common colds more than serious diseases. However, coronaviruses are also behind some more severe outbreaks.
Over the last 70 years, scientists have found that coronaviruses can infect mice, rats, dogs, cats, turkeys, horses, pigs, and cattle. Sometimes, these animals can transmit coronaviruses to humans.
Stay informed with live updates on the current COVID-19 outbreak.
Most recently, authorities identified a new coronavirus outbreak in China that has now reached other countries. It has the name coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19.
In this article, we explain the different types of human coronaviruses, their symptoms, and how people transmit them. We also focus on three particularly dangerous diseases that have spread due to coronaviruses: COVID-19, SARS, and MERS.
What is a coronavirus?
Share on PinterestCovering the mouth when sneezing may help stop the spread of coronaviruses.
Researchers first isolated a coronavirus in 1937. They found a coronavirus responsible for an infectious bronchitis virus in birds that had the ability to devastate poultry stocks.
Scientists first found evidence of human coronaviruses (HCoV) in the 1960s in the noses of people with the common cold. Two human coronaviruses are responsible for a large proportion of common colds: OC43 and 229E.
The name “coronavirus” comes from the crown-like projections on their surfaces. “Corona” in Latin means “halo” or “crown.”
Among humans, coronavirus infections most often occur during the winter months and early spring. People regularly become ill with a cold due to a coronavirus and may catch the same one about 4 months later.
This is because coronavirus antibodies do not last for a long time. Also, the antibodies for one strain of coronavirus may be ineffective against another one.
Symptoms
Cold- or flu-like symptoms usually set in from 2–4 days after a coronavirus infection and are typically mild. However, symptoms vary from person-to-person, and some forms of the virus can be fatal.
Scientists cannot easily cultivate human coronaviruses in the laboratory unlike the rhinovirus, which is another cause of the common cold. This makes it difficult to gauge the impact of the coronavirus on national economies and public health.
There is no cure, so treatments include self-care and over-the-counter (OTC) medication. People can take several steps, including:
resting and avoiding overexertion
drinking enough water
avoiding smoking and smoky areas
taking acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or naproxen for pain and fever
using a clean humidifier or cool mist vaporizer
A doctor can diagnose the virus responsible by taking a sample of respiratory fluids, such as mucus from the nose, or blood.
Coronaviruses belong to the subfamily Coronavirinae in the family Coronaviridae.
Different types of human coronaviruses vary in how severe the resulting disease becomes, and how far they can spread.
Doctors currently recognize seven types of coronavirus that can infect humans.
Rarer strains that cause more severe complications include MERS-CoV, which causes Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and SARS-CoV, the virus responsible for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
In 2019, a dangerous new strain called SARS-CoV-2 started circulating, causing the disease COVID-19.
Transmission
Limited research is available on how HCoV spreads from one person to the next.
However, researchers believe that the viruses transmit via fluids in the respiratory system, such as mucus.
Coronaviruses can spread in the following ways:
Coughing and sneezing without covering the mouth can disperse droplets into the air.
Touching or shaking hands with a person who has the virus can pass the virus between individuals.
Making contact with a surface or object that has the virus and then touching the nose, eyes, or mouth.
Some animal coronaviruses, such as feline coronavirus (FCoV), may spread through contact with feces. However, it is unclear whether this also applies to human coronaviruses.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggest that several groups of people have the highest risk of developing complications due to COVID-19. These groups include:
young children
people aged 65 years or older
women who are pregnant
Coronaviruses will infect most people at some time during their lifetime.
Coronaviruses can mutate effectively, which makes them so contagious.
To prevent transmission, people should stay at home and rest while symptoms are active. They should also avoid close contact with other people.
Covering the mouth and nose with a tissue or handkerchief while coughing or sneezing can also help prevent transmission. It is important to dispose of any tissues after use and maintain hygiene around the home.
COVID-19
In 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) started monitoring the outbreak of a new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, which causes the respiratory illness now known as COVID-19. Authorities first identified the virus in Wuhan, China.
More than 74,000 people have contracted the virus in China. Health authorities have identified many other people with COVID-19 around the world, including many in the United States. On January 31, 2020, the virus passed from one person to another in the U.S.
Since then, this strain has been diagnosed in several U.S. residents. The CDC have advised that it is likely to spread to more people. COVID-19 has started causing disruption in at least 25 other countries.
The first people with COVID-19 had links to an animal and seafood market. This fact suggested that animals initially transmitted the virus to humans. However, people with a more recent diagnosis had no connections with or exposure to the market, confirming that humans can pass the virus to each other.
Information on the virus is scarce at present. In the past, respiratory conditions that develop from coronaviruses, such as SARS and MERS, have spread through close contacts.
On February 17, 2020, the Director-General of the WHO presented at a media briefing the following updates on how often the symptoms of COVID-19 are severe or fatal, using data from 44,000 people with a confirmed diagnosis:
Stage of severity
Rough percentage of people with COVID-19
Mild disease from which a person can recover
More than 80%
Severe disease, causing breathlessness and pneumonia
Around 14%
Critical disease, including septic shock, respiratory failure, and the failure of more than one organ
About 5%
Fatal disease
2%
The Director-General also noted that the risk of serious complications increases with age. According to the WHO, few children get COVID-19, although they are still investigating the reasons for this.
However, while some viruses are highly contagious, it is less clear how rapidly coronaviruses will spread.
Symptoms vary from person-to-person with COVID-19. It may produce few or no symptoms. However, it can also lead to severe illness and may be fatal. Common symptoms include:
fever
breathlessness
cough
It may take 2–14 days for a person to notice symptoms after infection.
No vaccine is currently available for COVID-19. However, scientists have now replicated the virus. This could allow for early detection and treatment in people who have the virus but are not yet showing symptoms.
SARS
SARS was a contagious disease that developed after infection by the SARS-CoV coronavirus. Typically, it led to a life threatening form of pneumonia.
During November 2002, the virus started in the Guangdong Province in southern China, eventually reaching Hong Kong. From there, it rapidly spread around the world, causing infections in more than 24 countries.
SARS-CoV can infect both the upper and lower respiratory tracts.
The symptoms of SARS develop over the course of a week and start with a fever. Early on in the condition, people develop flu-like symptoms, such as:
Pneumonia, a severe lung infection, usually develops. At its most advanced stage, SARS causes failure of the lungs, heart, or liver.
According to the CDC, authorities marked 8,098 people as having contracted SARS. Of these, 774 infections were fatal. This equates to a mortality rate of 9.6%.
Complications were more likely in older adults, and half of all people over 65 years of age who became ill did not survive. Authorities eventually controlled SARS in July 2003.
MERS
MERS spread due to the coronavirus known as MERS-CoV. Scientists first recognized this severe respiratory illness in 2012 after it surfaced in Saudi Arabia. Since then, it has spread to other countries.
The virus has reached the U.S., while the largest outbreak outside the Arabian Peninsula occurred in South Korea in 2015.
Symptoms of MERS include fever, breathlessness, and coughing. The illness spreads through close contact with people who already have an infection. However, all cases of MERS have links to individuals recently returning from travel to the Arabian Peninsula.
A 2019 study on MERS found that the disease is fatal in 35.2% of people who contract it.
Bengaluru: The software major has asked all its employees to work from their home until further notice amid an ongoing global crisis caused by deadly Coronavirus infection. German software giant SAP on February 20 shut down their offices in India for an “extensive sanitation” after two employees tested positive for swine flu (H1N1) at its Bangalore headquarters. The company has temporarily pulled the shutter in its headquarter in Bangalore along with other offices in Gurgaon and Mumbai. “Two SAP India employees based in Bangalore (RMZ Ecoworld office) have tested positive for the H1N1 virus. Detailed contact tracing that the infected colleagues may have come into contact with is underway,” said the company in a statement. The software major has asked all its employees to work from their home until further notice amid an ongoing global crisis caused by deadly Coronavirus infection. Advertisement Coronavirus virus has killed more than 2000 people in China and the number of infected cases stands at 75,685. The company in its statement has said that it will sanitise and fumigate the premises as a remedial measure to limit the spread of the infection and has also advised its staff to seek medical assistance if they or their family members have any symptoms of cold, cough with fever. However, the company has not informed whether these infected employees had any travel history. The H1N1 virus is a highly contagious zoonotic infection. Symptoms for this infection include fever, chills, and sore throat. The first case of this virus was reported in the United States in April 2009. The virus claimed lives of more than hundreds in 2014 and 2015 in India.
Guwahati : A woman medico, who was India’s first coronavirus patient being treated at the Government Medical College hospital here was discharged on Thursday, official sources said.
The decision to discharge her from the hospital was taken by the Medical Board, which met and examined the results of the woman’s samples that had tested negative for the second time, they said.
The discharge of the student marked the recovery of all three cases of infection in India reported from Kerala.
Two other students — one from Alappuzha and another Kasaragod — had been discharged recently after they too tested negative for the virus in fresh tests days after being infected by it.
The woman, India’s first coronavirus patient had been undergoing treatment in the isolation ward of the Medical College Hospital here since her return from Wuhan in China last month.
All the three Keralites had earlier tested positive for the coronavirus on their return from Wuhan, the epicentre of the deadly outbreak that has left over 2,000 people dead in China, triggering a scare in the state.
“The health condition of the third patient at Thrissur Medical College Hospital is satisfactory. The second consecutive test result of the blood sample of the student, sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune, has returned negative,” Health Minister K K Shailaja had said in a release on Wednesday.
The health department has said a total of 2,242 people are under observation across the state, out of which, eight are in isolation wards of various hospitals and other under home quarantine.
The student admitted to the isolation ward of Alappuzha Medical College was discharged on February 6 while the patient from Kasargod sent home five days later.
Earlier, after the three students tested positive, the government had declared the coronavirus as a state calamity, but withdrew it after effective quarantine and no fresh cases being reported.
The conflicting reports over his condition only exacerbated public grief among Chinese netizens who largely considered Li, 34, to be a hero for his early attempt to raise awareness of the coronavirus. Li’s actions caused him to be targeted by the local police, who tried to silence him.
Here is how the reporting of Li’s death played out over Thursday and Friday, local time:
At around 10 p.m. Thursday— News begins to circulate on Chinese social media that Li Wenliang has died of the Wuhan coronavirus.
The rumors provoke a huge outpouring of grief and anger among Chinese netizens, many of whom already saw Li as a tragic figure after he contracted the virus he had tried to warn others about.
10.40 p.m. Thursday — Chinese state-run tabloid Global Times announces on its Twitter account that Li has died. Shortly afterward, the Communist Party’s official newspaper People’s Daily confirms that Li is dead, saying his death has sparked “national grief.”
The two announcements published by Chinese state media about the death of Li Wenliang, which were later deleted.
At around 11.30 p.m. — The World Health Organization (WHO) says on its official Twitter that it is “deeply saddened” by the death of Li, but later deletes the tweet.
In a clarifying statement later, the WHO says it has no information on Li’s status and had just been responding to a question at a press conference.
12.38 a.m. Friday — Wuhan Central Hospital releases a statement saying Li hasn’t died, but is in a critical condition and doctors are attempting to resuscitate him. At some point around this time, the Global Times and People’s Daily reports on Li’s death are deleted.
World Health Organization (WHO)
✔@WHO
At today’s #2019nCoV media briefing @DrMikeRyan was asked about reports that Dr Li Wenliang had passed away, and he expressed condolences.
12.57 a.m. Friday — Global Times says on its official Twitter that Li is “still under emergency treatment.” “Reporters heard people weeping inside the ICU,” the tweet says.
The state-run tabloid says that Li’s heart stopped beating at around 9.30 p.m. Thursday local time.
At about 2 a.m. Friday — The tide of emotion continues to grow on Chinese social media. The phrase “We want freedom of speech” begins to trend on Weibo, a Twitter-like website, before it is censored from the platform. Weibo users soon create another hashtag — “I want freedom of speech” — which quickly draws nearly 2 million views.
3.48 a.m. Friday — Wuhan Central Hospital announces on Weibo that Li has died at 2.58 a.m. despite attempts to resuscitate him. “We express our deep regret and condolences,” the post says.
Global Times
✔@globaltimesnews
Chinese doctor #LiWenliang, one of the eight “whistleblowers” who tried to warn other medics of the coronavirus outbreak but were reprimanded by local police, died from #coronavirus at 2:58 am Friday, the hospital where he received treatment announced. https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1178814.shtml …
At around 4 a.m. Friday — The Global Times and then People’s Daily announce on their Twitter accounts that Li is dead. The former references Li’s role as a whistleblower who tried to raise awareness of the coronavirus back in December.
Early Friday morning — The top comments under the Wuhan hospital’s announcement of Li’s death show anger at the handling of the news.
One reads post reads: “You think we’ve all gone to sleep? No. We haven’t.”
Hong Kong (CNN)
CNN’s Yong Xiong and Nectar Gan contributed to this article.
Coronavirus disease 2019 / A
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public
Section navigation Wash your hands frequently
Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand rub if your hands are not visibly dirty.
Why? Washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub eliminates the virus if it is on your hands.
Practice respiratory hygiene
When coughing and sneezing, cover mouth and nose with flexed elbow or tissue – discard tissue immediately into a closed bin and clean your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
Why? Covering your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing prevent the spread of germs and viruses. If you sneeze or cough into your hands, you may contaminate objects or people that you touch.
Maintain social distancing
Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and other people, particularly those who are coughing, sneezing and have a fever.
Why? When someone who is infected with a respiratory disease, like 2019-nCoV, coughs or sneezes they project small droplets containing the virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the virus. Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth
Why? Hands touch many surfaces which can be contaminated with the virus. If you touch your eyes, nose or mouth with your contaminated hands, you can transfer the virus from the surface to yourself.
If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early
Tell your health care provider if you have traveled in an area in China where 2019-nCoV has been reported, or if you have been in close contact with someone with who has traveled from China and has respiratory symptoms.
Why? Whenever you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing it’s important to seek medical attention promptly as this may be due to a respiratory infection or other serious condition. Respiratory symptoms with fever can have a range of causes, and depending on your personal travel history and circumstances, 2019-nCoV could be one of them.
If you have mild respiratory symptoms and no travel history to or within China
If you have mild respiratory symptoms and no travel history to or within China, carefully practice basic respiratory and hand hygiene and stay home until you are recovered, if possible.
As a general precaution, practice general hygiene measures when visiting live animal markets, wet markets or animal product markets
Ensure regular hand washing with soap and potable water after touching animals and animal products; avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth with hands; and avoid contact with sick animals or spoiled animal products. Strictly avoid any contact with other animals in the market (e.g., stray cats and dogs, rodents, birds, bats). Avoid contact with potentially contaminated animal waste or fluids on the soil or structures of shops and market facilities.
Avoid consumption of raw or undercooked animal products
Handle raw meat, milk or animal organs with care, to avoid cross-contamination with uncooked foods, as per good food safety practices.
Participants at Manipur’s Lui Ngai Ni music festival sang expressing their solidarity for the Chinese citizens affected in Wuhan, China by CoVID – 19.
The song was performed on Saturday at the annual Lui Ngai Ni festival expresses solidarity with coronavirus affected China.
Songs and dances are an integral part of the annual Lui Ngai Ni festival celebrations in Manipur. But this year along with the usual festivities, something very topical and relevant took centre stage.
On Saturday, Manipur’s popular musician Guru Rewben Mashangva took to the stage and performed a song on coronavirus and urged the people of China and Wuhan city, from where the outbreak spread, to stay strong.
The song written two days earlier by lyricist Ngachonmi Chamroy was hurriedly composed by Mashangva and performed in front of an audience of around 3000 at Ukhrul, the venue of the two-day seed-sowing festival celebrated by the Naga tribes of Manipur.
“A friend of mine, Seth Shatsang, called me up on February 13 and suggested we should use the platform of the festival to convey our concern for the suffering neighbours in China. I wrote the song in just 30 minutes,” said Chamroy.
At least 1662 people have now died from the coronavirus outbreak that first emerged in Hubei’s capital, Wuhan, in December and spiralled into a nationwide epidemic. More than 68,000 people have now been infected, with most deaths occurring in Hubei.
More than 580 cases have been confirmed outside mainland China and four deaths, one each in the Philippines, Hong Kong, France and Japan.
The song ‘China, be strong. Be strong Wuhan’, which mentions fear and despair on the empty streets of Wuhan also has lines in Chinese, Tangkhul and Nagamese languages.
“Video of the song has gone viral through social media and we are getting calls from the US, even China and Tangkhul friends from all over. Some are saying that the festival has been overshadowed by the song,” said Chamroy.
Shatsang, who gave the idea for the song, was also crucial in getting permission from United Naga Council (UNC), the organisers of the festival, to include it as a last-minute entry in the programme list.
“Idea about the song came from the heart. The disease has separated families in Wuhan and people are going through difficult times. As human beings, it is the right time to show our solidarity as it can happen anywhere,” said Shatsang, a former president of All Naga Students Association, Manipur (ANSAM).
While the song was written in a jiffy, Guru Rewben Mashangva also had to hurry with composing the music as there was not much time available to prepare ahead of Saturday’s event.
“I got the lyrics on the morning of February 13. I composed the music the next day and since I had no knowledge of the Chinese words, I took help from my children who used their phones to get the right pronunciation. The music was arranged on the night of February 14,” said Mashangva.
While Mashangva was performing the song, several of those present held placards saying ‘Stay strong Wuhan, we are with you’.
“The response from the audience to the song was very good. Later this month, the Tangkhul Music Association has decided to organise a show particularly highlighting coronavirus at Ukhrul,” said Milan Shimray, general secretary, UNC.
Mashangva and Chamroy are planning to do a proper recording of the song along with a video in the next few days and release it to a wider audience so that the message of solidarity can spread further.
Due to the massive outbreak of the deadly coronavirus, Changlang district authorities in Arunachal Pradesh on Monday had temporarily shut down the Pangsau Pass Market situated along the Indo-Myanmar border.
As per reports, trading operations have been suspended in the border market till March 21, 2020.
During a district-level meeting in Nampong, the decision to suspend operations in the border haat at Pangsau Pass had been taken in order to prevent the possible spread of the illness whose symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, pneumonia and breathing difficulties.
Moreover, the district authorities have also asked gaon burahs and panchayat interim committee members of Nampong and nearby Tikhak Rima Putok to create awareness about coronavirus among the local people.
They have also been asked to restrict local people from venturing to the border side of Myanmar.
The administration has also asked its counterpart in the neighbouring country to take similar measures.
It may be mentioned that the Pangsau Pass market functions only on the 10th, 20th and 30th of every month.
Traders from both India and Myanmar sell their wares at the border market that comes up at Pangsau Pass which is located on the crest of the Patkai Hills.
Imphal/Aizawl, Feb 4 (PTI) Two samples among six sent for screening for novel coronavirus in Manipur tested positive for swine flu, a senior health official said on Tuesday.
The six samples collected from people entering the state were sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune for testing for coronavirus, Director of Manipur Health Services K Rajo told reporters.
“We have received three reports so far. Though none of them tested positive for coronavirus, swine flu has been detected in two of them,” he said.
Of the two affected persons, one had recently visited China, while the other came in contact with that person, Rajo said.
Being “mild” cases of swine flu, the affected persons will be monitored through “home isolation” and their family members will be provided medicines, he added.
According to Rajo, five centres have been opened in different border towns of the state and at the Imphal International Airport to screen people for coronavirus.
Meanwhile, neighbouring Mizoram has started screening people entering the state through the India-Myanmar border, officials said.
A screening centre has been set up at Zokhawthar in the border district of Champhai, besides one at Lengpui Airport, they said.
The health department said no coronavirus case has been detected in the state so far and urged people not to believe rumours doing rounds on social media.
It said two medical students who returned from China on January 15 have tested negative for coronavirus. PTI CORR ACD DIV DIV
Swine flu (also known as the H1N1) is a respiratory condition which is highly infectious and can spread very quickly from one person to another. While it was earlier only detected in people with regular exposure to pigs (hence the name), it now primarily spreads from person to person.
Like many other strains of flu, swine flu is extremely contagious and can spread through air droplets produced by sneezing, coughing and even by touching infected areas where droplets have recently landed, including desks, utensils and tabletops. This is why the best means to prevent this deadly flu is to get vaccinated.
Infact, people with a compromised immune system, pregnant women, elderlies and those suffering from chronic health conditions are more susceptible to falling prey to swine flu. Even though the symptoms of H1N1 closely mimic the usual influenza infections (including cold, cough, high fever, body ache, running nose, sore throat etc.), some people may require hospitalization. Who should get vaccinated?Although the symptoms of swine flu are usually mild, pregnant women, very young children, elderlies and those with a weak immune system are more likely to be seriously ill with swine flu. Hence, even though everyone should make it a point to get swine flu vaccinations, the priority groups which are more at risk of catching this infection should get vaccinated without fail.
Vaccinations for swine flu
Vaccines have been developed to protect against the virus that causes swine flu. According to Dr Sushant Chhabra, HOD Emergency Medicine, Manipal Hospital, one should get the seasonal flu vaccine as it keeps getting updated every year to protect against new strains of viruses. The flu vaccination available in the market has four inactive strains and is known as the quadrivalent flu vaccine. The dosage Kids – 0.25 millilitres
Adults – 0.5 millilitres
The swine flu vaccination is ideally taken once in a year and its immunity period is usually between 6 months to one year.
Side-effects of the vaccine
Some of the most common side-effects of a swine flu vaccine include allergic reaction, fever and redness and pain at the site of injection. Some people may also experience tiredness, headaches and muscle ache after getting the flu shot.
Keep in mind that if you had a severe allergic reaction to the previous dose of vaccine, it is important that you inform your medical care provider about the same.
Participants at Manipur’s Lui Ngai Ni music festival sang expressing their solidarity for the Chinese citizens affected in Wuhan, China by CoVID – 19. 
