Medics at Egypt's main cancer center test positive for virus
Source: Associated Press
Egyptian officials say at least 17 medics in the country’s main cancer hospital have been quarantined after testing positive for the coronavirus, raising fears the pandemic could prey on health facilities in the Arab world’s most populous country
By
SAMY MAGDY Associated Press
April 4, 2020, 8:19 AM
3 min read
A general view shows Tahrir Square, which was the focal point of the Jan. 25, 2011 Egyptian uprising that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak, closed off by police during curfew hours as a prevention measures due to the coronavirus outbreak, in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, March 29, 2020. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)A general view shows Tahrir Square, which was the focal point of the Jan. 25, 2011 Egyptian uprising that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak, closed off by police during curfew hours as a prevention measures due to the coronavirus outbreak, in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, March 29, 2020. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)
The Associated Press
CAIRO -- At least 17 medics in Egypt’s main cancer hospital have been quarantined after testing positive for the coronavirus, officials said Saturday, raising fears the pandemic could prey on health facilities in the Arab world's most populous country.
Egypt has reported around 1,000 confirmed cases and 66 fatalities from the global pandemic. Authorities have closed schools and mosques, banned public gatherings and imposed a nighttime curfew to prevent the virus from spreading among the population of 100 million, a fifth of whom live in the densely-populated capital, Cairo.
Dr. Hatem Abu el-Kassem, the director of the National Cancer Institute, said three doctors and 12 nurses tested positive for the virus. He said all other health workers at the facility, which is affiliated with Cairo University and treats hundreds of cancer patients every day, would be tested. The university later said a total of 17 health workers tested positive.
The institute will be partly closed for three days to be sterilized, with only the emergency ward remaining open.
Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/medics-egypts-main-cancer-center-test-positive-virus-69973780
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