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Published 18:44 IST, February 13th 2020

Saudi citizen bearing coronavirus symptoms escapes Nepal hospital

A Saudi national bearing symptom of coronavirus has reportedly fled from one of Nepal's hospital after the doctors had advised him to be quarantined.

Reported by: Bhavya Sukheja
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A Saudi national bearing symptom of coronavirus has reportedly fled from one of Nepal's hospital after the doctors had advised him to be quarantined. While speaking to Nepal's local media outlet, a spokesperson at the Ministry of Health and Population acknowledged that the patient had gone missing nearly a week after the doctors at Teku hospital advised the foreign national to be admitted for observation. It was also revealed that the Saudi national had flown into Nepal via China and it was after a week that symptoms of COVID-19 started showing. 

Mahendra Shrestha, spokesperson at the Ministry of Health said, “He didn't want to be admitted, the Saudi national who only speaks Farsi was here from China. He came to the hospital after suffering from cold and was advised to be admitted at the hospital. He denied to be admitted, there was a problem in communication because he only spoke Farsi. He is not able to be contacted and is not admitted at the hospital. He was having fever and cold”. 

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Death toll reaches 1,355

The outbreak which took place in Wuhan in January has now killed thousands of people. The death toll for the virus in China has also reportedly jumped to nearly 1,355 with another 14,840 new confirmed cases as it revised the method for counting infections. The total number of confirmed cases across China are now more than 60,000. Hubei province, which is the epicentre of the viral outbreak, has also more than doubled to 242 deaths.

The World Health Organisation has reportedly said that China's Coronavirus outbreak is a 'very grave threat for the rest of the world' and should also be viewed by other nations as 'public enemy number 1'. The virus officially also named 'COVID-19' at the conference in Geneva held by WHO, where the body's chief further said that countries had a chance of stopping its global spread. Earlier this month, WHO also declared the Coronavirus as a 'global public health emergency'.

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(With ANI inputs)

18:44 IST, February 13th 2020