Two Manipal students\' coronavirus tests come back negative

Udupi: Two Manipal University students admitted to hospital with symptoms of COVID-19 have been declared negative.

The students from Manipal, one from Kuwait and the other who had returned from the US, had flu-like symptoms and were kept in an isolation ward in Manipal on Thursday. Their samples were sent to the lab at Shivamogga. By Friday evening, officials received the result declaring the two cases as negative for COVID-19.

The result of another Manipal student who was admitted to hospital on Friday is awaited.

Meanwhile, on Friday a person from Shirva village in Udupi district who had recently returned from Japan has been quarantined.

Officials said he had tested negative before coming to India. But as he had stomach pain and diarrhoea, he was under treatment at the government hospital in Udupi. The samples have been sent for testing and the results are expected in a day or two.

Meanwhile, as the fever of a woman from Sagar taluk of Shivamogga district under treatment at Manipal has not yet decreased, officials have sent the sample again to the lab.

The woman had had health issues during her visit to Mecca and was provided treatment there. She had come to India and was under treatment in Shivamogga. But as her fever continued she was admitted to Manipal on Wednesday.

Officials said the samples of the woman were sent to the lab two days ago and she was declared negative. But as the temperature has not yet decreased, the health department officials preferred to get a second opinion and sent her samples again for retest.

In Dakshina Kannada district, samples of six suspected cases were sent to the lab. Of these results of four have arrived and all the four have been tested negative.

In Uttara Kannada district there have been no suspected case.

However to educate citizens, collect self-declaration forms and to have thermal scanning of suspected commutes, Uttara Kannada district administration has opened help desk at all the 12 Taluk center bus stands and at four major railway stations- Karwar, Gokarna, Murudeshwar and Bhatkal.

Two other help desks have been opened at Murudeshwara and Gokarna. 
"Details of all foreign nationals staying in the district will be collected through schools. The details of all patients who have visited medical practitioners (both govt and private) will also be collected on a daily basis by health department officials," Uttara Kannada Deputy Commissioner Dr K Harish Kumar said in a press statement.

For isolation centers and hospital facilities, two private hospitals have also been identified along with naval base health facilities.