MOSCOW, March 6. /TASS/. Six new cases of coronavirus have been documented in Russia. Five cases have been reported in Moscow and one — in Nizhny Novgorod. All those infected visited Italy in the past two weeks, the coronavirus control and prevention task force told reporters on Friday.
"In the past 24 hours, six cases of coronavirus infection have been documented in Russia: one case — in Nizhny Novgorod and five cases — in Moscow. On the outcomes of the epidemiological investigation, we have found out that all those citizens visited the Italian Republic in the past two weeks," the task force informed.
The condition of the patient from Nizhny Novgorod is satisfactory, the disease is mild, the press service of the Nizhny Novgorod government told reporters.
"The patient is currently under medical supervision, in an isolated ward of a specialized medical institution. According to doctors, the disease is proceeding in a mild form, the patient’s condition is described as satisfactory," the press service said.
The person sought medical attention after returning from Milan. "The patient will be under supervision during the incubation period. <…> The list of persons whom he had contact with has been compiled, contacts have been established with them, quarantine measures are being taken," the press service added.
As for the Moscow cases, one of them is in serious condition, the city’s coronavirus-response center reported.
"Four patients have a mild form of the disease, and another one is in serious condition. A highly qualified medical team is treating him at a hospital in the Kommunarka district," the statement reads.
The task force added that all those infected had been isolated in infectious disease wards. "We have immediately detected a circle of people they have come into contact with on the territory of the Russian Federation. We are working on placing these people under medical supervision. Lab tests are underway," the officials noted.
Contacts of the five coronavirus patients in Moscow have been traced, Moscow’s coronavirus response headquarters reported. "Close contacts — friends and family members, with whom the patients contacted after the return home — are now under medical supervision. Those showing symptoms of acute respiratory diseases have been taken to hospital. There are three of them. The rest, who have no symptoms of the disease, are to stay under quarantine at home or be taken to a specialized center. As of 16:00 Moscow time, two out of the patients’ close contacts have been accommodated at such a center," it said, adding that all of the contacts would have to undergo tests for coronavirus.
In all, ten cases of coronavirus have been documented in Russia as of Friday, including seven Russians, two Chinese nationals and one Italian. Two infected Chinese nationals were discharged on their recovery. "Three Russians evacuated from Japan from the Diamond Princess cruise ship have also been discharged from hospital," the task force informed.
In late December 2019, Chinese authorities notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about an outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, central China. WHO declared the outbreak of the novel coronavirus a global health emergency and named the virus COVID-19.
Over 80% of all coronavirus cases have been reported in China. According to recent data, 80,700 people have been infected with the virus in China. In total, 53,800 people in China have recovered from the disease (over 60% of those infected); while about 3,000 people succumbed to the disease (about 3.7% of all infected persons).
Outside of China, major outbreaks of coronavirus have been documented in South Korea (6,593 people infected, over 100 patients recovered, 42 deaths); Iran (4,747 people infected, over 500 patients recovered, 124 deaths); Italy (3,858 people infected, 414 recovered patients, 148 deaths); Japan (1,074 people infected, 248 recovered patients, 12 deaths).
Over 100 cases of coronavirus have been reported in eight more states: Germany, France, Spain, the US, the UK, Singapore, Belgium and Sweden.