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Novel coronavirus cases reported in Tunisia
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WHO has reported two laboratory-confirmed cases and one probable case of novel coronavirus in Tunisia, bringing the total of cases worldwide to 44 since September.
The two new confirmed cases were in a man and a woman who were siblings. Both had mild respiratory illness and did not require hospitalization. In a retrospective investigation, the Ministry of Health in Tunisia found that their father had a probable case of the virus, although initial laboratory tests were negative. He became ill 3 days after returning from a visit to Qatar and Saudi Arabia. He was hospitalized with acute respiratory disease and died after his condition deteriorated. He had underlying health conditions.
In Saudi Arabia, a patient previously reported as part of the outbreak has died, bringing the death toll to 22. The latest death was one of 10 reported from an outbreak that began in a health care facility in eastern Saudi Arabia.
The outbreak has affected several countries in the Middle East, including Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Cases also have been reported in France, Germany, Tunisia and the United Kingdom. All of the cases outside of the Middle East had a direct or indirect connection to the Middle East, including two who traveled to the United Arab Emirates. In France and the United Kingdom, there has been limited local transmission to close contacts of travelers to the Middle East.
WHO is continuing to monitor the situation and recommends that physicians test patients with severe acute respiratory infection for the virus, especially among patients who have recently traveled to the Middle East and among patients with atypical signs and symptoms.