Patient technically Nipah-free: Min
Nipah virus
at the Valanchery municipality in Malappuram on May 8 is now technically free of infection, as two of her samples have tested negative, health minister Veena George said on Friday.
The patient is still under treatment at the Perinthalmanna EMS cooperative hospital.
The minister said although the patient's condition is still serious, her vital parameters have been steadily improving. The patient has been out of ventilator support for the past 12 days and was breathing on her own without any respiratory support. Her heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen saturation were all within normal limits, and internal organs such as the liver and kidneys were functioning normally.
While the patient is still unconscious, there were signs of gradual neurological improvement. Eye movement was observed occasionally and over the past two days, there was movement in the jaw and minor responses to pain. Follow-up MRI scans showed signs of healing from the impacts caused by the infection in the brain, the minister said.
Authorities are hopeful that there won't be any new cases, as one full incubation period passed since the first case was detected, meaning if there were any infections from the Nipah-positive patient, they would have manifested by now. However, helplines and support systems will remain in place for a few more days as a precaution.
There is optimism that the patient may return home in a few weeks with full physical and mental recovery.
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