A woman in her mid-forties who was hospitalised with a coronavirus infection in Kolkata will be released soon, hospital authorities informed Kolkata Municipal Corporation’s health department.
The patient has no immediate history of travelling outside the country. For the past two weeks, she has been suffering from fever, cough and cold. On being tested recently, she was diagnosed with human coronavirus HKU1, also called Betacoronavirus hongkonense.
“The patient was admitted, diagnosed and treated at the hospital. She is stable and presumably discharged soon,” a senior official of KMC health department told this correspondent March 18, 2025.
The virus in question is not novel, triggers milder form of respiratory illness and does not have the potential to cause major outbreaks. “It’s an extremely common human coronavirus present among us for a long time," said Arup Haldar, a pulmonologist with Calcutta Medical Research Institute, Kolkata. It presents flu-like symptoms such as low-grade fever, cough and cold, he added. "Like any other virus, it may become more impactful in patients with comorbidities.”
Another expert pointed out that the viral infection may cause cough and cold, running nose, sore throat, blocked sinus, headache, fever, fatigue, and in several cases, even pneumonia or bronchitis.
“Coronaviruses like HKU1, 229E, NL63, OV43 are routine findings in upper respiratory tract (and) just like mild flu in 99 per cent cases,” the hospital informed.
Like other coronaviruses, the pathogen transmits by direct contact with infected individuals, through coughing, sneezing or touching surfaces.
Public health experts observed that maintenance of COVID-19 safety protocols such as washing hands frequently with soap and water or sanitising them are likely to be insular against the virus.
“The virus doesn't seem to be of much concern but we are keeping a watch,” said a KMC health official.