Three cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Kuwait and the first case has also been diagnosed by health officials in Bahrain.
Kuwait’s Ministry of Health has announced that, following initial examinations of people who had arrived from Iran, the three cases were discovered.
In a press release, the ministry said the first case involved a 53-year-old Kuwaiti citizen and the second a 61-year-old from Saudi Arabia. Although the nationality of the third person was not disclosed, authorities confirmed their age is 21.
“There are initial indications that the symptoms of the disease appeared and that all three cases are under constant observation by the medical staff,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, a Bahraini citizen arriving back in the kingdom from Iran is currently in isolation and supervision at Ebrahim Khalil Knaoo Medical Centre after being diagnosed with the virus. Individuals who had been in contact with the patient have also been referred to isolation.
The ministry said it is taking further preventive measures to ensure the virus is contained, including monitoring the health of individuals arriving from infected countries for a period of 14 days, in line with international standards set by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
“The ministry calls upon all citizens and residents who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, including a fever, coughing and difficulty breathing, or those who have travelled to one of the countries infected with the disease or have interacted with a person traveling from any of those locations, or interacted with an infected patient, to isolate themselves, call 444, and follow the instructions given by the medical team, and avoid close contact with others,” the ministry said.
Nearly 80,000 people have been infected with the coronavirus worldwide, the vast majority in China.
But official figures indicate the death rate is proportionately much higher in Iran than China, standing at nearly one in five of the confirmed infections.