Cyprus suspected coronavirus case was false alarm

A Chinese woman suspected of contracting the novel Coronavirus when arriving in Cyprus after a trip to China was said to be in the clear as her tests came back negative.

The Health Ministry announced that: “The patient, whose clinical status has improved, will remain hospitalised for precautionary reasons”.

The woman had a high fever after landing at Larnaca on a flight from Moscow via China.

The woman, a permanent resident on the island, was quarantined on Monday after displaying symptoms similar to those of the coronavirus.

She returned to Cyprus after spending two weeks in China.

Once the plane landed, the woman was examined and was then transferred to Nicosia General Hospital.

“A small number of people, who travelled on the same flight from China and were found to be asymptomatic, after having been examined by health professionals at Larnaca airport, were advised to apply precautionary and self-screening measures for the next 14 days,” said the ministry’s announcement.

All 85 passengers and six crew filled out a questionnaire while those sitting in the two rows in front and behind the woman, and those next to her, were examined by medics and were given specific instructions to self-monitor themselves for any symptoms.

Meanwhile, China reported 108 more deaths on Tuesday, taking the total toll in the country to 1,016.

There were 2,478 new confirmed cases on the mainland on 10 February, down from 3,062 on the previous day, bringing the total to 42,638, according to the country’s  National Health Commission.

There are 319 cases in 24 other countries and territories, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and Chinese health officials.

The coronavirus outbreak began in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, in the province of Hubei in December last year.

The previously unknown coronavirus strain is believed to have emerged from illegally traded wildlife at a market in Wuhan, a city of 11 million people.