A 66-year-old woman and 74-year-old man are hospitalized in Pirogov after giving positive tests for coronavirus, announced prime minister Boyko Borisov during an emergency briefing last night. The total number of corona cases in the country grows to six.
The elderly people are a couple and there is no information if they have traveled abroad. According to unofficial information, the couple from the region of Lom was visiting their son who works at commodity market “Iliantsi” in the capital of Sofia.
The male, who had previous history of lung disease complications, was hospitalized on Monday with acute respiratory failure. The female was hospitalized in critical condition yesterday and had to undergo tracheal intubation.
The patients were transferred to the emergency ward of the hospital, announced Chief state health inspector Angel Kunchev M.D. He also added that the woman arrived walking on her own, but has collapsed at the entrance of the hospital.
About 89 people have been in contact with the couple and their relatives have also been hospitalized with their test results to be announced soon.
The medical services in the hospital ceased yesterday for a disinfection procedure and the couple has been transferred to an isolation ward in a different building. The hospital resumed operations as normal and is currently treating patients.
“We are not considering a temporal closure, but we ask the citizens to seek the hospital’s services only in emergencies in order to minimize the risks of an outbreak”, commented Kunchev M.D.
The staff of Second internal ward, where the male was treated, has been placed under a quarantine, as explained by the Chief health inspector.
Translation: Ivaylo Yotov