A Chinese national on an Air India flight from Delhi fell ill and was taken to a Pune hospital after the flight landed in the city.
Air India spokesperson Dhananjay Kumar said the “unwell” passenger was admitted to the hospital.
The passenger's medical samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune for testing, officials said.
The aircraft’s departure back to Delhi was delayed by over four hours owing to fumigation following concerns over the coronavirus scare.
Landed from Bangkok
Dr. Ramchandra Hankare, who heads the Pune Municipal Corporation's health department, said the Chinese national had landed in India from Bangkok late last month.
"He displayed symptoms like cold and cough. We have sent his throat swab samples to the NIV and are awaiting the report," he said.
According to Dr. Hankare, prior to boarding the flight for Pune, the patient arrived in India on January 29, following which he made a number of trips to the cities in the East, including Kolkata and Bhubaneshwar, before reaching New Delhi on January 5.
(With inputs from Shoumojit Banerjee)
