Coronavirus scare: Karnataka govt appeals to public not to believe in rumours

Bengaluru, Mar 04: Seeking to allay fear among the citizens in the wake of Coronavirus scare, Karnataka Health Minister B Srirumulu on Wednesday made an appeal to the people not to pay heed to rumours spreading on social media.

In a series of tweets, Sriramulu assured people that the government has taken adequate measures to ensure that the disease does not spread further.

"Don''t lend your ears to rumours about the Coronavirus in the social media. Rely only on the authentic information," he tweeted.

The minister''s tweet came as Bengaluru reported the first case, after a techie from the city with a travel history to Dubai and interaction with Hongkong-based people there, was admitted to a hospital in Hyderabad.

As panic gripped the city, Sriramulu said the apartment where the software engineer was staying has been sanitised. Besides, his 25 colleagues have been identified. One of them has been admitted to the hospital as a precautionary measure and his blood sample has been sent for lab test.

"So far 40,207 people have been screened at the International airport. 251 blood tests have been done, of which 238 were found negative, while the rest of the reports are yet to come," Sriramulu tweeted.

The health department said three people have been admitted to the isolation ward at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases (RGICD).

Meanwhile, a parent appealed to people not to panic about the Coronavirus in the techie''s apartment, where his son too resides.

"My son is from the same apartment.To update everyone, there is absolutely nothing wrong here. It was more of panic on social media that created this," he said in a message.

He said that the man who is in Telengana and tested positive stayed in this building on February 21. "His roommate was taken to hospital and has tested negative," he said.

It is been two weeks since the incident. The virus can survive only for 48 hours under optimal conditions, he noted. "Everyone in this building is safe. Please educate yourself. Refrain from spreading panic and misinformation." he added.