A 22-year-old man who flew into the city from an ‘affected region’ was admitted to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (GH) late Monday night, as a precaution against the deadly Ebola virus. However, as of Tuesday evening, he was doing well, hospital authorities said.
The man, who flew in from Nigeria via Abu Dhabi, had been ill with fever for several hours. Since he had just arrived from a country that has had about 20 cases of Ebola, he was identified by public health officials at the airport’s screening programme and taken to the isolation ward at GH, where he is currently under observation.
“A fever profile was done and the patient was put under treatment. His temperature has gone down and he is now doing well,” said GH Dean R. Vimala. Doctors at GH said all safety precautions were being taken and that the standard protocol was being followed.
A blood sample was taken and sent for testing for the virus, said S. Balasubramanian, joint director (epidemics), Directorate of Public Health. “The results are expected within the next three days, and until then, we will keep the patient under observation,” he said.
The man, a lab technician, has been working at a private clinic in Nigeria for the past four months and hails from Ariyalur district, hospital officials said.
His family has been informed and his cousins were at the hospital on Tuesday, an official said. Incidentally, the man was trained as a technician at Madras Medical College, which is attached to GH.
This is the second case of an admission to GH, the first being of a 25-year-old from Theni district who was admitted on August 9 and was discharged the following day.
For any health inquiries, residents can contact the helpline 104.
Over 500 passengers screenedAs of Tuesday, a total of 577 passengers have been screened across Tamil Nadu, according to the directorate of public health. Of these, 542 had been on their way to various parts of the State, while 35 were heading to neighbouring States. On Tuesday, 11 passengers were screened.
Of the 577, a majority — 535 — were from Nigeria. Liberia has accounted for 15, Sierra Leone for five, Guinea for four, Senegal for six and the Democratic Republic of Congo for 12, said Dr. Balasubramanian.
A total of 215 people have been released from surveillance so far, while the remaining 362 continue to remain under observation, he said. All passengers are monitored for 30 days since the date of leaving Ebola-hit countries, as the virus has an incubation period that could be anything between two and 21 days.
According to the World Health Organisation, over 2,800 people have died of the virus so far.
