Cynthia Chitombi
A SECOND suspected coronavirus (Covid-19) patient put under isolation at Wilkins Hospital in Harare yesterday has tested negative of the virus, the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting has announced on Twitter.
“Government would like to update the Nation that the traveller from Hunan Province of China who was under observation at Wilkins Hospital has tested negative to the Corona virus (Covid-19),” the Ministry said.
Prosper Chonzi, the Harare City health director, earlier confirmed that the second suspected person had not come from an affected area but they had to follow protocol.
“That person is not coming from Hubei but from a different province,” he said.
Even though the suspected person tested negative, there has been no information yet if or not the person will remain in isolation.
The first case involved a 27-year-old Harare woman two weeks ago who was suspected to have contracted the disease after visiting Wuhan, China.
She tested negative and was released from Wilkins within days.
According to the World Health Organisation, coronaviruses belong to a family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
Coronavirus symptoms include pneumonia, high fever, flu-like symptoms, chest pains, diarrhoea and shortness of breath.
Precautions include covering the mouth when coughing or sneezing, washing hands the same way as people do when guarding against cholera and typhoid.
