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Maldives records third COVID-19 recovery

Ahmed Aiham
21 March 2020, MVT 15:55
Dr Moosa Murad at the press conference held at the National Emergency Operations Centre in convention centre 'Dharubaaruge'. PHOTO: AHMED AWSHAN ILYAS / MIHAARU
Ahmed Aiham
21 March 2020, MVT 15:55

National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) on Saturday, declared that a third patient had recovered from COVID-19.

During the nationally broadcasted press conference, Dr Moosa Murad noted that the patient was initially transferred to quarantine on March 6 and is the resident doctor who came into contact with the first imported case of COVID-19 in Kuredu Island Resort and Spa and in the country.

Dr Moosa urged citizens to comply with official institutions, implement best practices in hygiene and practice herd immunity by social distancing during these "high-risk" situations to curb the virus from spreading further.

The Italian tourist, who was vacationing at Kuredu, stayed in Maagiri Hotel on March 1 and 2 after being unable to depart for Italy as initially planned. He tested positive for COVID-19 after arriving in his home country.

Speaking at a press conference, Assistant Commissioner of Police Mohamed Riyaz revealed the then-symptomatic Italian first visited the resort's resident doctor on February 26 and returned to the doctor the next day with further complications. The patient has a medical history with similar symptoms to the virus. Noting that tests were required to diagnose the possible infection, the doctor recommended bed rest and the patient was sent to their room and kept in isolation.

Maldives Police Service also noted that Kuredu's management deliberately delayed reporting the first matter.

Maldives currently has 13 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 10 active cases. The country recorded its first recovery on Friday - two holidaymakers from Bathala Island Resort. One of the patients, aged 72, was in intensive care suffering from severe pneumonia, which began alleviating during the fifth day of admittance at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).

Upon recovery or testing negative for the virus along with resolved symptoms, patients will be subject to further monitoring. They will be discharged following a double negative test (on two consecutive days) according to the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. However, patients will undergo further home-isolation after they are discharged.

No Maldivians have tested positive for the virus as of yet. So far, only tourists and resort employees have confirmed infections with no local transmissions.

The World Health Organization has classified the spread of COVID-19 as a global pandemic. The novel coronavirus has infected more than 276,000 and claimed over 11,400 lives around the world. However, out of those infected, more than 91,900 have recovered.

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