Coronavirus in Portugal : 2 new suspected cases in Lisbon
Two new suspected cases of infection with the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Portugal were validated today by the Directorate General for Health (DGS), after clinical and epidemiological evaluation. This is what the Portuguese Secretary of State for Health is announcing today. The two suspect patients have been admitted to Curry Cabral hospital in Lisbon and tests are pending to confirm or rule out the coronavirus infection. The two unrelated patients show all signs of the coronavirus. Lisbob, the expatriate assistant in Portugal, tells you all about this two new suspected cases of coronavirus in Portugal.
Coronavirus in Portugal : 2 new suspected cases in Lisbon
Confirmation of the two new suspected cases was given by the Secretary of State for Health, António Lacerda Sales, at a press conference. "Two suspected investigative cases have been validated today, the situation could change," said Lacerda Sales, adding, however, that this does not mean that they will be confirmed. "Portugal has no cases of infection at this stage," he said.
According to Graça Freitas, the Director General of Health, these are two residents of the Greater Lisbon region, and both were referred to the Curry Cabral hospital, the reference unit for these situations. Biological samples will be collected for analysis by the National Institute of Health. However, according to Graça Freitas, these are "two different cases, of different origins".
The first suspected case is a "44 year old Portuguese man" residing in Portugal who "was validated by a doctor from the helpline of the General Directorate of Health and a doctor from the Curry Cabral hospital", having presented "the two criteria necessary to be validated: presents symptoms compatible with the new infection of the new coronavirus and has an epidemiological link according to its evolution during the last days.
The second suspected case, a 40-year-old man, was in "contact with other cases outside of Portugal and for this reason was under surveillance", indicating that the detection of his case was made through " mechanisms to capture, identify and validate cases for investigation. It is thanks to this system that the early onset of symptoms has been detected. "
Coronavirus has already killed more than 420 people in China
Graça Freitas asked not to sink into alarmism saying that it is not known whether the two cases "are infected with the new coronavirus or another microbiological agent", asking "to wait calmly until hospitalization and the tests are carried out in accordance with the protocol ".
After analysis of the cases by Dr Ricardo Jorge of the National Institute of Health, the results will be published. These are the third and four suspected cases in Portugal, the first of which was discovered on January 25 and the second on the 31 of the same month, but the analyzes of the two patients turned out to be negative.
To date there have been 426 deaths and more than 20,400 people infected with the new coronavirus detected last December in Wuhan, capital of central Hubei province, which has since been placed in quarantine.
The preliminary analyzes carried out on the 20 people repatriated by Portugal from China, who arrived in Lisbon on Sunday, also gave negative results. The 18 Portuguese and the two Brazilians will remain in prophylactic isolation for 14 days in dedicated facilities at Pulido Valente Hospital (Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Norte) and Parque da Saúde de Lisboa. However, a Belgian citizen who was on the same plane tested positive for coronavirus.
Regarding the Portuguese returnees, the Secretary of State for Health stressed that "the 20 citizens are not sick", being "asymptomatic and in a good mood". "The first priority of the government has been to bring back those Portuguese who have shown their willingness to return to our country. It is a complex and delicate operation and it has been successfully concluded," added António Lacerda Sales.