France confirmed on Friday its
first three cases of the Wuhan coronavirus, with two patients being
hospitalised in Paris and the other in the southwestern city of Bordeaux.
Health Minister Agnes Buzyn told
a news conference authorities had confirmed two cases, Europe’s first, and that
more cases were likely to occur in France.
In a separate statement on
Friday, the health ministry announced the third case, a relative of one of the
first two.
Earlier, the charity SOS Medecins
said it had treated one of the cases, a patient of Chinese origin who was
showing symptoms of a fever and who said he had been in contact with people
from Wuhan in China, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak.
Buzyn said the patient was 48
years old and had returned two days ago from a trip to China which included a
stop in Wuhan.
“He’s been put in an
isolated room so as to avoid any contact with the outside world. He’s
fine”, she said.
Most of the cases and all of the
deaths so far have been in China, where officials have imposed severe
restrictions on travel and public gatherings.
The virus has created alarm, but
there are still many unknowns surrounding it, such as just how dangerous it is
and how easily it spreads between people. It can lead to pneumonia, which has
been deadly in some cases.
The World Health Organization on
Thursday declared the virus an “emergency in China”, but stopped
short of declaring it a global health emergency.
Buzyn said the official advice to
those suspecting they might have caught the virus was not to go to hospital –
to avoid spreading it – but to call a special number where they would be told
what to do.
The minister said she planned to
hold daily news conferences on the issue.
25, January 2020
France confirms first three cases of Wuhan coronavirus in Europe 0
France confirmed on Friday its first three cases of the Wuhan coronavirus, with two patients being hospitalised in Paris and the other in the southwestern city of Bordeaux.
Health Minister Agnes Buzyn told a news conference authorities had confirmed two cases, Europe’s first, and that more cases were likely to occur in France.
In a separate statement on Friday, the health ministry announced the third case, a relative of one of the first two.
Earlier, the charity SOS Medecins said it had treated one of the cases, a patient of Chinese origin who was showing symptoms of a fever and who said he had been in contact with people from Wuhan in China, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak.
Buzyn said the patient was 48 years old and had returned two days ago from a trip to China which included a stop in Wuhan.
“He’s been put in an isolated room so as to avoid any contact with the outside world. He’s fine”, she said.
Most of the cases and all of the deaths so far have been in China, where officials have imposed severe restrictions on travel and public gatherings.
The virus has created alarm, but there are still many unknowns surrounding it, such as just how dangerous it is and how easily it spreads between people. It can lead to pneumonia, which has been deadly in some cases.
The World Health Organization on Thursday declared the virus an “emergency in China”, but stopped short of declaring it a global health emergency.
Buzyn said the official advice to those suspecting they might have caught the virus was not to go to hospital – to avoid spreading it – but to call a special number where they would be told what to do.
The minister said she planned to hold daily news conferences on the issue.
(REUTERS)