25TH SEPTEMBER 2012 AT. 19:38UPDATED 25TH SEPTEMBER 2012 AT. 20:05
Director of University Hospital Jens Peter Shen says tonight that five patients are admitted to the Funen hospital for observation for Corona virus. (© DR)
WRITTEN BY:
Ritzau and Laura Marie Sorensen
BBC NEWS
A new coronavirus may come to Denmark. Earlier in the day, a family of four and one more person admitted to Odense University Hospital (University Hospital), where they are under closer observation for symptoms of infection with the new virus.
- We admit them as a precaution. They look fortunately not very sick out. It should be examined to be sure that there is nothing - but they are by no means critically ill, not at all, says senior consultant at Department of Infectious Diseases at University Hospital, Svend Stensvang Pedersen:
There are different types of coronavirus, which usually give the common cold, but in rare cases can cause more serious infections of the respiratory tract, similar to symptoms of SARS virus.
- So we are currently patients for the new type of coronavirus - and in addition, a variety of more common causes of respiratory infection. We expect answers to tests for coronavirus tomorrow afternoon on 26 september, says Director of the Hospital, Jens Peter Steensen
Coming from the Middle East
Statens Serum Institut (SSI) and the Health Protection Agency (SST) sent earlier this week a recommendation out to travelers in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, as after returning experienced fever and cough, andenød and difficulty breathing.
The recommendation came after they had discovered two confirmed - and a third possible - the case of a coronavirus in the two countries.
The five patients in Denmark have just been to Qatar or Saudi Arabia, says Svend Stensvang Pedersen.
- And then they have fever, cough, flu-like body pain, shortness of breath and increased secretions when they cough, he said.
Embedded in isolation
The five patients were all from South Denmark and sought medical advice earlier Tuesday. Doctors contacted the Medical Officer of Health and Hospital, where the five patients now hospitalized in isolation.
- We will cut them because we do not know anything about how well the virus spreads. Therefore, if you choose - like the bird flu and swine flu - to take them in and isolate them. So we prevent it from spreading to others, says Svend Stensvang Pedersen, adding:
- There are already reports that the new coronavirus is not contagious so much from person to person, as SARS did. But until we know more, we would like to be on the safe side and take people in, isolate and examine thoroughly.
http://www.dr.dk/Nyheder/Indland/2012/09/25/193202.htm
