Sunday, March 1 2020 13:47

ArmInfo.The case of coronavirus detected in Armenia does not present a threat from the point of view of public health. This was stated by RA Minister of  Health Arsen Torosyan at a March 1 press conference.

Earlier it became known that the first case of a new type of  coronavirus was detected in Armenia. The patient, a 29-year-old man,  arrived by plane from Tehran to Yerevan on February 28. According to  the minister, all the passengers on the plane, as well as the crew,  were in medical masks. A separate exit from the airport building was  organized for all of them. It is significant that the virus was not  detected in the patient's wife. At the time of flight arrival, no  objective symptoms of coronavirus were detected in the passengers by  the epidemiologist. The patient already from the house turned to the  doctors, and was taken to the hospital in an ambulance. Tests  confirmed coronavirus. At the moment, the state of the newcomer is  assessed as good, he has no temperature. According to Torosyan, at  this stage, the patient does not receive medication. As the minister  explained, there is no cure for coronavirus, and patients can only  rely on symptomatic treatment (taking antipyretic drugs, and so on).  According to current recommendations, some of the passengers on this  flight were isolated - those who sat in the first two rows in front  of the patient, and in one row behind him. In addition, the doctors  who transported him to the hospital were isolated, although they were  masked.

 At the moment, we are talking about 32 citizens who are isolated in  the Golden Peles Hotel in Tsaghkadzor. The remaining passengers will  be constantly monitored. In total, 117 tests for a new type of  coronavirus were carried out in Armenia, of which only one gave a  positive result. At the moment, 1000 tests have been delivered to the  country to detect a new virus. They were delivered by WHO and  Rospotrebnadzor. Another 2 thousand will be received before the end  of the week, and another thousand is expected from the United States.  At the same time, the possibility of acquiring additional tests is  not ruled out. Torosyan noted that the preventive measures taken make  it possible to exclude local cases of a new type of coronavirus.  Answering a question from ArmInfo correspondent, the minister said  that at the moment there is no need to close the border with Georgia,  where three imported cases have been identified.  As for Iran, at the  checkpoint strict control is exercised over all trucks entering  Armenia. The Minister spoke about the situation with a shortage of  medical masks for the population, noting that this issue can be  discussed with the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Foreign  Affairs. Meanwhile, all medical facilities in the country are  provided with these masks. In addition, at the request of the Chinese  side, a party of medical masks was sent from Gyumri as humanitarian  aid to one of the twin cities of China.  Torosyan also did not rule  out the possibility of establishing in Armenia a corresponding  enterprise for the production of medical masks, urging the business  sector to consider this issue. As for the cancellation of classes in  educational institutions, this need, as noted by Torosyan, is not yet  available. However, the issue will be discussed taking into account a  possible change in the situation. Since the new coronavirus does not  pose such a strong threat as, for example, the Ebola virus, the  preventive measures are similar to those for acute respiratory viral  infections: wash your hands often, ventilate the room, minimize  contact with patients, and don't shake hands, according to Armenian  tradition, by shaking hands or kissing on the cheeks. It should be  noted that for preventive purposes, the Armenian government  nevertheless decided not to hold a procession in Yerevan to  commemorate the victims of the events of March 1, 2008.