PUTRAJAYA — A woman from Wuhan, China has been confirmed as the 16th positive case of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection in the country, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (pic) today.
She said the 67-year-old tourist was the mother of a friend of another confirmed case who was detected on Feb 6.
“She was found positive for the virus on Feb 7 and is currently being treated in the isolation ward at Kuala Lumpur Hospital and was reported to be in a stable condition,” she said at a daily news conference on the latest development of the coronavirus here.
She said of the 16 positive cases, 12 were China nationals and four locals.
Meanwhile, Dr Wan Azizah said a Chinese man who was tested positive for the 2019-nCoV on Jan 25, was expected to be discharged soon.
She said the man currently being treated at Permai Hospital in Johor and now waiting for the third retest result after he was found negative in the first and second retests.
Deputy prime minister said the man who had pneumonia, was administered with antiretroviral drugs, a medication used to treat patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
The patient had responded well to the medication and would be allowed to go home once the third retest result was received, she said.
Dr Wan Azizah said the first six cases – the first, third, fifth, seventh, eighth and 10th case – had undergone the first retest for the coronavirus infection and they were found negative.
Four other cases – the second, 14th, 15th and 16th – were all currently being treated in the hospital and reported to be in a stable condition, she added.
Deputy prime minister said of the 12 cases involving China nationals, four patients namely the first, second, third and fifth were family members of the first case detected in Singapore and they were currently receiving treatment at Sungai Buloh Hospital.
Three of the cases – the first, third and fifth – had undergone the first retest and were found negative for the virus, she added.
Dr Wan Azizah said for the four locals who were found positive for the virus, they would undergo a retest soon
— BERNAMA
