India has reported its first case of novel coronavirus (nCoV) in Kerala. The student is studying at the Wuhan University, Wuhan, China, where the outbreak originated.

An official statement from the Ministry of Health and Welfare read, "The patient has tested positive for Novel Coronavirus and is in isolation ward in the hospital. The patient is stable and is being closely monitored. Stating that the country is ready to handle any outbreak, the Indian government reportedly said, "Thermal screening sensors are operational and few more such equipment is being procured. The immigration and other staff members at the airports have been sensitized and dedicated ambulances are placed at the Airports. Deployment of medical & para-medical staff is also being done for round-the-clock service."

Although it was earlier believed that the virus originated from the seafood market and could only spread from animals to humans, the Chinese health officials have confirmed human to human transmission of the virus. The first case outside China was reported in the USA's Washington on Tuesday. The SARS-like virus has spread to 19 other countries.

What is coronavirus?

Coronavirus, that originated from the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan, affects the respiratory tract of the infected person. Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Symptoms:

Runny nose

Cough

Sore throat

Headache

Fever

Severe cases can reportedly cause pneumonia, bronchitis, kidney failure, and even death.

Treatment/Prevention:

A vaccine has not yet been developed to treat the virus. The WHO has, however, recommended simple precautions that can help in the prevention of the infection. Washing hands regularly, especially after visiting someone sick, covering the mouth while sneezing or coughing, avoiding close contact with anyone having the symptoms of respiratory illness, are some of the precautions.

A Ministry of Health and Welfare official reportedly stated, " As there is no vaccine or drug available against the virus, the cases are managed according to their symptomatology. NCoV is fatal but exact fatality is not estimated and how the virus will behave in the new population is also not known. Therefore, prevention and strict surveillance are very important in India."

Update on Novel #Coronavirus: one positive case reported in #Kerala.#nCoV2020.

Read the details here:https://t.co/hYknfIKQiY@PMOIndia @drharshvardhan @AshwiniKChoubey @PIB_India @DDNewslive @airnewsalerts @ANI

— Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) January 30, 2020