3 suspected of coronavirus cleared: IEDCR

Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) today said no case of novel coronavirus has been detected after three suspected people were tested in the institute.

The IEDCR tested the three people who have arrived in the country from China after January 21 but found none of them infected with the deadly virus, an official said.

The death toll from the virus soared to 132 and confirmed infections neared 6,000, according to AFP.

“Initially we tested two people, though we assumed no probable infection. The third one was a suspected case. None of them was confirmed as coronavirus positive,” Prof Meejady Sabrina Flora told The Daily Star this evening.

She requested that any person coming from China should stay quarantined in home for 14 days as a safety measure.

“It is neither an official recommendation from IEDCR nor from the World Health Organization. It’s just a precautionary measure suggested by physicians,” she said.

Originating in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the unknown virus has been spread to at least 16 other countries across the globe.

The health team of the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka screened a total of 3,348 passengers coming from China till this afternoon.

There were no suspected passengers, according to IEDCR.