The first confirmed case of Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, was confirmed in Belfast on Thursday evening.
The patient had been in Northern Italy, a badly affected region, and travelled back to Belfast this week, coming through Dublin on the way. The only detail released regarding the patient is that they are an adult.
This is the first confirmed case of the disease on the island of Ireland.
Northern Ireland Chief Medical Officer Dr. Michael McBride urged the public not to panic.
Announcing the diagnosis at a press conference, he said: “Our health service is well used to dealing with such infections and I want to reassure the public that we are prepared.
“The risk to population of Northern Ireland has not changed as a result of this presumptive positive test result,” he said.
According to the BBC, the patient had contacted a GP and was advised to self-isolate. They are now receiving treatment from specialists.
Approximately 2,700 people have died from the virus so far, most of whom were in China, where the disease originated. Northern Italy and South Korea have also emerged as two areas particularly affected by the illness.
Yesterday it was confirmed that Ireland’s Six Nations match with Italy would not go ahead amid fears that the virus would spread.
"If people cough into their hands, they can pass it on by direct contact or if they touch door knobs…"@CillianDeGascun explains everything we need to know about the Coronavirus and its effect in Ireland.
And everything else we wanted to know too.. pic.twitter.com/pySgt3tOnk
— JOE.ie (@JOEdotie) February 21, 2020
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