Student who returned from Wuhan put in quarantine

Health minister says four isolation wards have been established in city

KARACHI: A Pakistani student returned to Karachi from Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, was put into quarantine three days after his arrival.

As the world curbs travel to and from China, Arsalan Amin, a resident of Lyari, left Wuhan for Shanghai on January 22, right before the city was quarantined, reaching his home city on Tuesday night.

On Friday, Amin was admitted to an isolation ward at a private hospital in the city, where he is to be kept for 14 days. A sample of his body fluids was sent to Islamabad for screening related to the deadly virus. He may be discharged earlier if the laboratory tests are negative for coronavirus.

According to the university student, he and two other Pakistani students were stopped by officials at the Shanghai airport and a medical check was run before they were allowed to board the flight. "After undergoing a medical check-up and receiving an all-clear, Chinese authorities allowed us to travel to Pakistan via Dubai," he explained.

Taking measures

With the growing threat of coronavirus, measures have been taken to prevent its outbreak in Pakistan. As part of these efforts, four isolation wards have been set up at health facilities in Karachi, said Sindh Health and Population Welfare Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho on Friday.

The isolation wards have been established at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital, Dow University of Health Science's Ojha campus and Aga Khan University Hospital.

Besides this, these health facilities have been provided kits, including face masks, gloves and other equipment, supplied by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to be used during the treatment of coronavirus patients.

According to the provincial health minister, samples body fluids of suspected coronavirus cases are being collected at different hospitals, which will first be sent to the National Institute of Health in Islamabad and then to China for screening. However, she confirmed that so far, none of the screened persons had been detected with the virus.

Pechuho said that an isolation ward had also been set up at the airport in Karachi, in line with the recommendations of an advisory body. All passengers arriving from China were being screened at the isolation ward at the airport, she added.

However, she said that she would not call for bringing back Pakistani students under quarantine in China, as they could be carrying the virus. She explained that their return ran the risk of an outbreak in Pakistan and it would be better if they were treated in China. The minister added that Amin would be regularly monitored. 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 1^st, 2020.