Two new coronavirus cases put total at 58; first recovery

KUWAIT CITY, March 5, (Agencies): The Kuwaiti Ministry of Health on Thursday reported two more coronavirus cases, bringing the country’s total count of confirmed virus cases up to 58. The fresh virus infections are two Kuwaiti women who had recently returned from Iran, said the Health Ministry’s Assistant Undersecretary for Public Health Dr Butheina Al-Mudhaf Thursday.

The virus-infected women who were admitted to intensive care earlier on Wednesday are receiving necessary medical care, she said, elaborating that one of them is still in a critical situation while the other is stable. However, all other quarantined cases are stable and fine, the Kuwaiti health official told the daily briefing. Meanwhile, she noted that the ministry had held a meeting on Wednesday to weigh precautions taken in order to control the novel coronavirus in the country.

The meeting also discussed a planned evacuation of Kuwaiti citizens from Iraq and concerted efforts involving various state agencies to fend off a looming virus outbreak. Coronaviruses (CoV) form a large family of viruses that can cause mild colds to severe pneumonia in humans.

Other coronaviruses can cause a variety of infectious diseases in animals. Coronaviruses are transmitted between animals and humans. Coronaviruses include the MERS coronavirus (MERSCoV), which first appeared in humans in 2012, and the SARS coronavirus (SARSCoV), first detected in 2003. In 2020, a novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) was identified in China that has never been detected in humans before.

Recovery
The first case of recovery for a 34-year-old coronavirus patient in Kuwait was announced by the Health Ministry Thursday. Minister of Health Sheikh Dr Bassel Al-Sabah said that tests were carried out on the patient and results showed that he was free of the globalspreading virus. The patient will be leaving hospital Friday after further regular tests, affirmed Sheikh Dr Bassel.

Request
The Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has requested that alternate arrangements be made to check all passengers coming from Egypt and Syria, so that, upon their arrival at the Kuwait International Airport, they are transferred to the Kuwait Airways counter at the “T1” building where they can fill the health monitoring card and then go with an escort of the Ministry of Interior accompanied by civil aviation employees to the customs hall, reports Al-Rai daily.

The circular, a copy of which has been obtained by the daily, states the operations staff in the transit area should be screened before they report for work by a medical team of the Ministry of Health, and specify a number of employees to be present at the transit hall to guide passengers and a number of employees at the customs hall. It requested the formation of a team by the airport working team comprising of members from the operations management departments, facilities, contracts and lost items department, to monitor passenger movement at the new point located between gates 20 and 21.