Hong Kong tourist tests negative for MERS coronavirus
In a follow-up to a story yesterday about a tourist in Hong Kong hospitalized with “suspected Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), officials from the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) announced today that the 67-year-old man has tested negative for the novel coronavirus.
According to the CHP, the patient, who arrived in Hong Kong from Qatar alone on December 17, consulted a private doctor yesterday (December 19) for cough and runny nose. He was subsequently transferred to PMH for further management under isolation and is now in stable condition.
The patient’s nasopharyngeal aspirates were tested negative for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus by the Public Health Laboratory Services Branch of the CHP.
“No human infection with this virus has been identified so far in Hong Kong,”said a CHP spokesperson.
To date, the MERS coronavirus has been confirmed in the following countries– France, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, United Kingdom (UK) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
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