4 with flu symptoms remain in Tbilisi hospital amid declaration of global health emergency
Georgia has no cases of the new coronavirus, which has already killed 213 in China and has spread to 18 countries. Photo:IPN.
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Two Chinese and two Georgian citizens remain in the Tbilisi infectious disease hospital, with one of the two Georgian citizens having been in the Wuhan province of China two weeks ago, which is the epicenter of the outbreak of the new coronavirus.
The Chinese citizens are minors, with Georgian health officials saying that they tested positive for the A type virus, excluding the nCOV-2019, which is the new coronavirus which has been declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO) yesterday.
The Chinese children were among the nine Chinese citizens who were transported from Georgia’s mountainous Gudauri resort to Tbilisi late yesterday with symptoms of the flu.
Their parents and relatives were allowed to leave the hospital shortly before as there were was no presence of the virus while the children were placed in an isolated room before the results of tests for different viruses became known.
Head of the Georgian National Disease Control Centre Amiran Gamkrelidze says that there is no reason to panic about the new coronavirus in Georgia.
Georgian health officials say that the Georgian woman who was in Wuhan and came back to Georgia two weeks ago “has a low temperature and the symptoms she has do not look like those of the new coronavirus.”
They say that the 24-year old, male Georgia citizen also does not have pneumonia or other typical symptoms of 2019-nCOV.
However, Georgia continues to screen both of them for different viruses and infections to exclude 2019-nCOV, as the country, like many foreign states, is unable to directly test them for the new coronavirus.
We have to test patients for about 20 viruses and infections to exclude 2019-nCOV, which takes time,” Georgian health officials say.
Turkish media reported yesterday that Turkey will evacuate seven Georgian citizens from Wuhan, together with Azerbaijani and Albanian citizens.
Photo: BBC.
However, Tbilisi has not neither confirmed, nor denied the information.
The new coronavirus, which first emerged in the city of Wuhan, Hubei province of China, at the end of 2019 has already killed at least 213 in China and infected almost 10,000.
The WHO said there had been 98 cases in 18 other countries, but no deaths.
Most international cases are in people who had been in Wuhan.
Declaring a global emergency allows the WHO to support lower- and middle-income countries to strengthen their disease surveillance - and prepare them for cases.
WHO has previously declared five global public health emergencies: Swine flu - 2009; Polio - 2014; Zika - 2016 and Ebola, twice, in 2014 and 2019.
The new coronavirus, which is thought to have emerged from illegally traded wildlife at a seafood market in Wuhan, can spread between people.
The incubation period can range from two to 10 days.
Turkey will evacuate seven Georgian citizens, together with its 34, seven Azerbaijani and one Albanian citizens from Wuhan, Hubei province of China - the epicentre of the outbreak of the new coronavirus, Turkish media outlets report. Georgia has already suspended direct flights with China and stated earlier this week that it would find ways how to evacuate it citizens from Wuhan.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia said that the healthcare system is ready to efficiently respond to the challenge of the coronavirus if it appears in Georgia.
Georgia temporarily suspends direct flights with China to prevent the spread of coronavirus in Georgia, the Georgian Civil Aviation Agency (GCAA) reports. The suspension of flights will be in place until March 29 of 2020.Chinese aviation authorities and the airline company China Southern have already been notified about the flight suspension.
Import of live animals from China have been banned to prevent transmission and spread of the China-born coronavirus on the territory of Georgia, reports the Georgian Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture.
Two Georgian citizens who have come from China will be tested in Germany for the presence of the new coronavirus - 2019-nCov.A 24-year-old man who worked in China and a woman who came from Wuhan, China, which is the epicenter of the new virus outbreak, have no signs of pneumonia [which is the major symptom of the new coronavirus] and have a low temperature. However, they have none of the viruses Georgia can test individuals for inside the country.
Georgian Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze has confirmed that Turkey will evacuate Georgian citizens from Wuhan, Hubei province of China, which is the epicenter of the outbreak of the new coronavirus – 2019-nCOV.