It all started during the night from Friday to Saturday when seven people were hospitalized, in the infectious diseases department at the Purpan hospital in Toulouse. The patients, six family members and a 73-year-old woman, presented with difficulty breathing and a 38-degree fever since returning from a trip to Saudi Arabia.
As a precaution, and as required by the protocol, they were taken care of in a specific way (isolation) by the hospital staff during the night from Friday to Saturday, the time to carry out analyzes to determine whether these symptoms could be linked to the patient. Coronavirus.
After analyzes, a mother and her two children were able to return to their home to be “placed in isolation at home”. The septuagenarian was also able to return home after all suspicion of infection was ruled out.
This Monday, there are therefore three people under observation at the Toulouse University Hospital, but the results of the analyzes already invalidate the hypothesis of contamination with the Coronavirus. The management of Purpan Hospital assured Sunday that the three people who remained in isolation were not infected with “Middle East respiratory syndrome”, better known as Coronavirus. The patients do not show “serious clinical signs, they should be able to return home quickly,” the hospital said.
Two cases of contamination to date
Two cases of Coronavirus have been identified to date in France since its appearance in September 2012. The first died in May. The second is still hospitalized but would be cured after a long period of quarantine. Last week a third suspected case was spotted, before being overturned.
A toll-free number on the Coronavirus has been opened by the Ministry of Health for people returning from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan or the Emirates and who would present suspicious symptoms (fever and respiratory signs). He can be contacted from Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. 08 00 13 00 00.
