The health condition of two patients in the city whose throat swab samples were sent to two laboratories on Tuesday to know whether they are infected with Nipah virus is improving, a Health Department official said here on Wednesday.
The samples drawn from a 20-year-old woman admitted in a private hospital and a 75-year-old man being treated at the Government Wenlock Hospital had been sent to Manipal Centre for Virus Research, Manipal, and National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, for analysis.
The report is expected on Thursday, Rajesh B.V., Dakshina Kannada Surveillance Officer, told The Hindu . The report of the NIV is final, he said.
“The two patients were doing very well on Wednesday and their condition is improving,” he said and added that they were being given symptomatic treatment in their respective hospitals.
Dr. Rajesh said that the woman had returned from Kozhikode, Kerala, and the other patient had not gone there in the recent past. The samples were sent for analysis after doctors observed symptoms and not ready to take any chances, he said.
Dr. Rajesh said that the Health Department here on Wednesday created a local WhatsApp group for internal communication among doctors both in private and government sectors in the district. It has members of Indian Medical Association as well. The group is for exchanging information relating to Nipah.
He said that all education institutes have been instructed to inform the Health Department of any suspected Nipah symptoms noticed among students both in schools and colleges and in hostels.
