Of the 17 cases, 14 samples were tested and they have come negative for the virus so far; suspected cases kept in isolation at Kolkata, Jaipur, Chandigarh and Patna, says senior official

“No positive case of novel corona virus has been detected in India though we have suspected cases in isolation at Kolkata, Jaipur, Chandigarh and Patna. Of the 17 cases, 14 samples were tested and they have come negative for the virus so far,” said a senior Health Ministry official on January 28.

“We are requesting people for information-sharing through your self-declaration on symptoms of the virus,” he said adding that with the World Health Organisation (WHO) now saying that corona virus could be spread through droplets, contact and fomites, the Ministry is working on disseminating this update.

The outbreak, which began less than a month ago in China, has killed 81 people so far and spread to 11 countries so far. Meanwhile, three person are under observation in the Capital’s Ram Manohar Lohia hospital with flu-like symptoms after they returned from China.

“Three people with suspected corona virus were brought to the hospital on Monday. They had shown no symptoms after they came back from China and were living with their families in Delhi-NCR. They were brought to the hospital after they started showing some respiratory symptoms,” said Minakshi Bhardwaj, medical superintendent of the RML hospital. Samples testing for the virus is being done at National Institute of Virology, Pune.