Travel advisory issued for Indians amid China virus outbreak

India's Ministry of Health issued a travel advisory for travelers visiting China amid a mysterious virus outbreak in the country.

The advisory said:

An infection with a novel coronavirus has been reported from China.

As on January 11, 2020, 41 confirmed cases have been reported so far, of which one has died. Only travel related cases have been reported (one each) in Thailand and Japan. The clinical signs and symptoms are mainly fever with a few patients having difficulty in breathing. Mode of transmission is unclear as of now. However, so far there is little evidence of significant humanto-human transmission.

Also read: Indian woman contracts mysterious virus

Although as per World Health Organization's risk assessment the risk for global spread has been stated as low, as a matter of abundant precaution, the travelers to China are advised the following:

Travelers to China should follow simple public health measures at all times as under

- Observe good personal hygiene

- Practice frequent hand washing with soap 

- Follow respiratory etiquettes - cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing 

- Avoid close contact with people who are unwell or showing symptoms of illness, such as cough, runny nose etc. 

- Avoid contact with live animals and consumption of raw/undercooked meats 

- Avoid travel to farms, live animal markets or where animals are slaughtered 

- Wear a mask if you have respiratory symptoms such as cough or runny nose 

All travelers to China (in particular Wuhan city) to monitor their health closely. 

If you feel sick and have fever and cough: 

- Cover your mouth while coughing or sneezing

- Don't plan travels if sick o Seek medical attention promptly

If you feel sick on flight, while traveling back to India: 

- Inform the airlines crew about illness 

- Seek mask from the airlines crew 

- Avoid close contact with family members or fellow travelers

- Follow the directions of airline crew while disembarking

If you feel sick on flight or at the time of disembarkation: 

- Report to airport health authorities/immigration 

- Follow the direction of the airport health officer 

If you feel sick with in a span of one month after return from China:

- Report the illness to the nearest health facility and also inform the treating doctor regarding your travel history