Test result of first Coronavirus positive case in Kerala comes out negative

Thrissur: The latest test result of the woman medical student, who arrived here from China's Wuhan region and was the first positive case from India for the Coronavirus, has come out negative, health officials said on Monday. Her condition was "stable", they said.

According to the state health department as of now, 34 people are in isolation wards across various hospitals in the state. "The blood test result of the first patient from Thrissur, from the National Institute of Virology (NIV) testing centre at Alappuzha, shows a negative result. But we need confirmation from the NIV at Pune," a senior medical officer told PTI.

After the first positive case was reported from Thrissur, two other Keralite students from Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus, had tested positive in Alappuzha and Kasaragod districts. The health department had earlier said those in isolation wards of various hospitals in the state have come down to 34.

"A total of 3,252 are still under observation across the state, of which 3,218 are under home quarantine," a release issued by the health department said.

The department has already sent at least 345 samples for testing at the NIV at Pune and so far 326 results have returned negative. The 'state calamity' alert, which was declared on February 3, was withdrawn on Friday after no new positive cases of infection were detected.