Latest patient, who is reportedly in stable condition, had recently returned to Pakistan from neighboring Iran
Pakistan on Tuesday confirmed a fifth case of the novel coronavirus, with a senior health official assuring the public that the patient was in stable condition.
“We have now fifth confirmed case of COVID-19 in federal areas. Patient is stable and is being managed well,” Special Assistant to the P.M. on Health Dr. Zafar Mirza posted on Twitter. “I request the media to respect the privacy of the patient and the family,” he added.
According to local media, the newest patient is a 45-year-old woman from Gilgit-Baltistan who returned to Pakistan from Iran a few days back. According to an official of the federal health ministry, the woman is being treated at hospital, while her family had been placed in quarantine pending testing for the virus.
Earlier, two cases of the novel coronavirus were reported from Karachi, one from the federal areas, and one from Islamabad. All the confirmed cases were people who recently traveled between Iran and Pakistan.
COVID-19 has been particularly deadly in Iran, where at least 66 people have died from the disease, including senior government officials, and over 1,500 cases have been overall confirmed. Pakistan last week shuttered its border with Iran in light of the coronavirus epidemic, and has implemented strict monitoring of any people who left the country prior to the border closures.
The coronavirus pandemic, trigged last year in China, has spread around the world in the past month, killing over 3,100 people and infecting more than 80,000 others. Experts have advised against any panic, saying the disease is asymptomatic for many cases, and the greatest risk is to the elderly and those with compromised immunities.
Health authorities have urged people to wash their hands multiple times a day, avoid touching their face and eyes, keep a distance of 1 meter from other people, and avoid large public gatherings until the disease has been brought under control.