(HKSAR) - The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) received a report from Prince of Wales Hospital (PWH) today (February 27) of a suspected case of Severe Respiratory Disease associated with Novel Coronavirus.
The patient is a 39-year-old woman, with good past health, who presented with fever, cough and sore throat since February 23. She was admitted to the isolation ward of PWH today. Her current condition is stable.
Investigations by the CHP revealed that the patient travelled to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from February 20 to 22 and returned to Hong Kong on February 23.
Preliminary laboratory test results for the patient's nasopharyngeal aspirate today showed that it tested negative for Novel Coronavirus associated with Severe Respiratory Disease but positive for seasonal influenza A (H3).
"The CHP will continue its surveillance mechanism with public and private hospitals, practising doctors and the airport for any suspected cases of Severe Respiratory Disease associated with Novel Coronavirus," a DH spokesman remarked.
"No human infection with this virus has been identified so far in Hong Kong," the spokesman stressed.
The spokesman reiterated that the Government attaches great concern to the rumours on novel coronavirus infection that were recently spread through various channels and appealed to members of the public not to divert their attention to these totally unfounded rumours.
"We would like to reassure the public that the Government will be as transparent as possible in the dissemination of information on cases of Severe Respiratory Disease associated with Novel Coronavirus.
Whenever there is a suspected case, particularly involving patients with travel history to the Middle East and the affected areas, the CHP will release information to the public as soon as possible once the laboratory test results are available," the spokesman said.
He reminded members of the public to remain vigilant in maintaining good personal and environmental hygiene. Travellers returning from novel coronavirus-affected countries with respiratory symptoms should wear face masks, seek medical attention and reveal their travel history to doctors. http://7thspace.com/headlines/433167/fever_patient_tests_negative_for_novel_coronavirus.html
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