The Hindu : `Tests done on all suspected SARS cases'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 20, 2003

National

National

`Tests done on all suspected SARS cases'

By Aarti Dhar

NEW DELHI APRIL 19. With the sputum and urine tests of the foreigner admitted at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital here confirming the presence of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)-causing new corona virus, the number of confirmed SARS cases in the country has gone up to two. Another patient with SARS-like symptom was admitted to the Safdarjung Hospital early this morning after his arrival from Malaysia and his urine, blood and sputum specimen have been sent to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases for confirmation.

The total number of suspected cases in India so far has been 12 of which 10 tested negative for the virus while reports of two are still awaited. The total number of deaths due to the virus has touched 170 all over the world and the number of affected people is 3,461 from 25 countries. The NICD is not refusing any samples that come to it for testing even if they are remotely related to SARS disease.

The foreigner, who arrived in India on April 16 from Australia, was brought to the RML after he complained of fever, running nose and cough. His blood had tested negative for the new corona virus but reacted positively to the virus in the sputum and urine. Since the PCR tests had failed to give any confirmed results, doctors have now sent the samples for more sophisticated "genetic sequencing" or testing of nucleotide of the DNA for the new coronavirus. The report is awaited.

Talking to reporters here today, S.P. Aggarwal, Director-General of Health Services (DGHS), said though as of now he is `afebrile' (without fever) and asymptomatic. He is likely to be discharged from hospital as soon as the NICD report is made available but would be advised `home quarantine'. Since he is a foreigner, the Centre will contact the embassy concerned upon his discharge or provide him `quarantine' facilities in Delhi until his departure. The patient, who came to India as a tourist, had stopped over at Bangkok for 13 hours and has been suffering from chronic sinusitis.

The latest patient at Safdarjung Hospital is a 34-year-old Indian who arrived from Malaysia last night. He had been suffering from a persistent cough and fever and is being treated for Upper Respiratory Tract Infection and is being given antibiotic therapy because he does not so far fit into the prescribe category of SARS suspects. But as an extra precaution, tests are being conducted on him, though his chest X-ray is clear and he was likely to be discharged by this evening, Dr. Aggarwal said.

Explaining that SARS had no specific treatment as such and the medicines prescribed comprised supportive treatment, Dr. Aggarwal said genetic sequencing was done to differentiate the flu-causing coronavirus from the SARS-causing new coronavirus. "Since the new coronavirus had been detected in the foreigner's urine and sputum, it proved that the virus did enter the body though the concentration in the blood could be low,'' he said.

As of the seven-year-old girl from Sushant Lok, a team of doctors had visited her in the house and she was declared totally healthy except a sore throat though her PCR report is still awaited and did not fit in the suspected or probable cases of the SARS category.

The team of experts from NICD that came back from Pune yesterday have brought with them the urine, blood and sputum samples of the doctors, nurses, attendants and close relatives of the confirmed patient of SARS who is undergoing home quarantine in Goa after being discharged from hospital. The samples will now be tested at the NICD though none of the acquaintances or the hospital staff has shown any symptoms of SARS. "The staff and attendants of the patient at the RML and any other suspected case have been asked to take precautions while interacting with the patients,'' Dr. Aggarwal said.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National