Coronavirus scare in Kisumu as mystery woman takes Chinese worker to hospital

A patient of Chinese origin has been isolated in a ward at the Aga Khan Hospital in Kisumu over fears of the deadly coronavirus.

The Chinese man who works at a construction site in Ugunja, Siaya County, is said to have been brought to the hospital on Thursday evening by an unidentified woman.

At the time of admission to the hospital, the patient was in protective gear to avert any dangers of further spread of the disease.

Doctors at the facility however said the patient was being treated for pneumonia even as he remains in an isolation ward.

Samples have reportedly been taken to Nairobi to ascertain whether he has the coronavirus or not.

The hospital is said to have isolated the Chinese man to ensure that he poses no risk to other patients and staff in case he has the coronavirus.

The results from the sample are expected to be out on Friday.

When contacted for comment, the hospital’s Medical Director Dr Patrick Eshiwani said he was held up in meetings.

He also did not respond to text messages on the same.

Meanwhile, Hopes for a slowdown in the spread of the novel coronavirus were dashed Friday as the number of new cases rose in China, and outbreaks worsened in Japan and South Korea.

Authorities in China’s Hubei province confirmed an additional 411 cases of the virus Thursday morning, 62 more than the previous day, taking the total number of cases at the epicenter of the outbreak to 62,442.

Later Thursday, provincial authorities upgraded that figure to 631, after changing the criteria to include figures from a prison in the region.

There are an additional 14,000 or so cases outside Hubei, with the majority in other parts of mainland China.

The death toll from the outbreak now stands at 2,247, after more deaths in mainland China Thursday, including 115 in Hubei, seven more than the previous day.

More than 42,000 patients remain hospitalized across Hubei, including 2,018 in a critical condition. So far, 11,788 patients have been treated and discharged since the outbreak began.

Additional report from CNN