MUSCAT, FEB 24 - “Watch out for symptoms, report to the clinic immediately, don’t panic and don’t follow rumours”, the Ministry of Health said in the wake of two cases of coronavirus reported in the Sultanate on Monday.
“One should alert the health authorities if he or she finds any of the symptoms of viral fever. Those who have travelled to the affected areas should also report to the authorities,” Dr Faryal Ali Khamis, Senior Consultant and Head of Infection Diseases Section at the Internal Medicine Department at the Royal Hospital told the Observer.
The most common symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath and difficulty of breathing. In the most severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia and severe acute respiratory syndrome.
“Virus attacks the respiratory system and one should follow the respiratory etiquette including covering the mouth with hands or tissue paper or a cloth. Also, one should wash hands for at least 20 seconds whenever he or she goes out and comes back and follow personal hygiene when shaking hands with others”, Dr Faryal said.
Two Omani women who had returned from Iran were diagnosed with the disease. The three cases in Kuwait and the one
in Bahrain were also in individuals who had returned from Iran, where the virus has claimed the lives of 12 people.
Bahrain also shut three schools after a man who had transported children to the institutions tested positive after returning from Iran on February 21 via Dubai airport, the health ministry said.
In Kuwait, a 53-year-old Kuwaiti, a 61-year-old Saudi national and a 21-year-old stateless Arab who tested positive had all returned from Iran’s holy city of Mashhad, the Kuwaiti health ministry said.
In Iraq, the virus was confirmed in an Iranian national studying in the southern shrine city of Najaf, health officials said.
Iran’s confirmed death toll rose to 12 on Monday, with the government vowing to be transparent and dismissing a lawmaker’s claim the toll could be as high as 50.
The outbreak has prompted travel bans from nearby countries.
Last week, Kuwait banned entry of all ships from the Islamic republic and suspended flights to and from the country.
Kuwait also banned non-citizens coming from Iran from entering the Gulf state and operated chartered flights to bring back hundreds of Kuwaiti pilgrims from the Islamic republic.
The United Arab Emirates has already announced 13 cases of the novel coronavirus, all of them foreigners. The latest were a 70-year-old Iranian man, whose condition is unstable, and his 64-year-old wife.
On Monday, Abu Dhabi authorities called on all UAE citizens “to not travel to Iran and Thailand at present and up until further notice” as part of its efforts to monitor and contain the spread of the disease.
UAE airlines have suspended most flights to China — where the virus first emerged in December — except to the capital Beijing, but have not yet taken any measures to restrict travel to and from Iran. Around half a million Iranians live and work in the UAE.
Two Gulf states — Saudi Arabia and Qatar — remain free of the virus, but all have suspended flights to China.
Qatar Airways said on Monday that people arriving from Iran and South Korea would be asked to stay in home isolation or a quarantine facility for 14 days.
China’s death toll from COVID-19 rose to nearly 2,600 on Monday, while the virus has now spread to more than 30 countries.
(with inputs from agencies)
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