On Wednesday, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced on his official Facebook page that two people in Hungary have been infected with coronavirus. Since then, the number has increased to four. The third patient is a man from Debrecen, who has recently returned from Milan, according to the government website providing updates about the outbreak.
Earlier this week, the government launched its information website on koronavirus.gov.hu, where Hungarians can follow the number of infected people, those who have been treated from the disease, deceased, quarantined, and tested. They also provide info-graphics and information on the hospitals, quarantines, and the new actions of the operational team from the Ministry of Interior.
Currently, there are four infected people in the country, 39 in quarantine in the South Pest Central Hospital, and 269 people have been tested. The website reported that the third patient is a man from Debrecen who commutes regularly between Milan and Debrecen. The man returned to the eastern Hungarian city by plane on February 29th, but had no fever when screened at the airport.
However, he later came down with a fever and was taken to the hospital where he was isolated and tested. The tests showed that he had been infected by the new virus. According to the website, more updates will be given on the patient’s condition on Friday.
Wizz Air has confirmed to Index.hu that Hungarian health authorities have warned them that a passenger on the airline’s flight between Milan-Malpensa and Debrecen on February 28th was later diagnosed with coronavirus. According to their statement, the passengers and staff of the flight concerned were informed and the airplane was cleaned and disinfected in accordance with the instructions of health authorities.
According to unconfirmed information from Dehir, the man had already been transported to Budapest after the president of the Clinical Center of the University of Debrecen said that according to a central order, any hospital identifying the coronavirus should transfer the patient to the National Institute of Hematology and Infectology in the South Pest Central Hospital. The news portal also wrote that according to their information, the man has a Debrecen address, although he is not Hungarian, but a British citizen, and has a family here in Hungary.
After news of the man from Debrecen, it was announced later yesterday evening that there is a fourth patient, the Iranian girlfriend of one of the Iranian students who tested positive earlier this week.
featured photo: MTI/Czeglédi Zsolt