The new case of coronavirus suspected in France and reported on October 28 to the Institut de Veille Sanitaire (InVS) turned out to be negative in the analyzes carried out by the Institut Pasteur. The Ministry of Health says therefore that “the two cases identified in May 2013 remain the only two cases confirmed in France to date.”
The person whose illness was reported to the authorities has been hospitalized in northern France since returning from a stay in Saudi Arabia. His state of health is stable. The situation is not the same for the two patients whose virus was confirmed at the start of the year: the first died on May 28 while he was hospitalized in intensive care in Lille, while the second is still hospitalized.
In France, contaminations have only been reported in two cases: either after a trip to the Arabian Peninsula, or after close contact with an infected person. The ministry recalls that “any person in one of these situations must contact their doctor or center 15 and mention the trip or the contact.” Dubbed “Middle East respiratory syndrome” by the World Health Organization (WHO), this virus has affected nearly 144 people worldwide since September 2012, 62 of whom have died. Despite everything, the WHO does not recommend travel restrictions with the countries concerned.
A toll-free information number on the coronavirus has been set up by the ministry: 0800 13 00 00. It can be reached free of charge from Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
