The Health Ministry has confirmed a second individual has been diagnosed with the Covid-19 coronavirus in Argentina.
As in the first diagnosis earlier this week, health official stressed that it was "an imported case," involving a 23-year-old man who recently travelling to Italy. He is under observation at the Sanatorio Otamendi in Recoleta.
Tests confirming the diagnosis were confirmed by laboratories at the Malbrán Institute.
"The Ministry of Health of the Nation and the Ministry of Health of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, announce that today the second case of Covid-19 was confirmed in the City of Buenos Aires. The analyses were carried out in 24 hours by the National Administration of Laboratories and Institutes of Health (ANLIS) "Dr. Carlos Malbrán"," both portfolios said in a joint statement.
Health officials indicated that a "a 23-year-old male patient" had been diagnosed after presenting himself for consultations at a private clinic on March 3, after suffering with "a cough and fever and general malaise." They added that the young man had recently travelled to northern Italy and returned to the country on March 1.
Italy is one of the countries most affected by the coronavirus after China, with 3,858 diagnoses to date and 148 deaths recorded.
"The patient is a young man who has no pre-existing conditions and is in good general condition, [he has been] hospitalised to ensure he is quarantined," read a statement.
According to reports, he visited Venice and returned on the same Alitalia flight as the first confirmed case and his partner has also been hospitalised under precautionary measures, isolated at the Sanatorio Anchorena in Recoleta awaiting test results.
On Friday morning, Perfil revealed that the individual who had been diagnosed was named Juan and worked as an "advisor to a Consenso Federal legislator from the City of Buenos Aires."
Lawmaker Eugenio Casielles, who the patient works for, said that he was “nervous, but very calm.”
On Thursday, there were unconfirmed reports of a third case – a 70-year-old man – who had been admitted to the City's German Hospital with suspected coronavirus. Officials have refused to deny the reports to date.
– TIMES/PERFIL/NA
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