Nurse in Upper Egypt tests positive for coronavirus

CAIRO – 1 April 2020: A nurse in Upper Egypt’s Luxor tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19), the health directorate in the governorate said on Wednesday, adding that all who were in contact with him were quarantined for 14 days and tested for the novel virus.

This comes as Egypt on Tuesday confirmed 54 new positive cases for COVID-19, raising the total toll to 710, including 157 recovered cases and 46 deaths.

The infected nurse was on leave and reported some symptoms that he suffered once he returned to work, the directorate said, adding that he was sent to the fever hospital immediately, without dealing with any patients in his hospital.

The Ministry’s spokesperson Khaled Megahed said that the results of 205 came negative and five Egyptians died, two of them died before being admitted to the hospital. Megahed added that the 54 new cases included patients who came from overseas and others who contracted the virus from previous cases.

Megahed pointed out that the cases with positive results are being treated at quarantine hospitals according to the guidelines set by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The minister of health Hala Zayed said that the pandemic statistics in Egypt suggest that for each million there are six positive cases, while the death percentage stood at 0.4%. She added that these figures show a stable condition compared to other countries.

Zayed urged all Egyptians- including those who returned from overseas- to comply with the rules and standards set by the Egyptian ministry of health that included being quarantined for 14 days to exclude possibilities of infection.