Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi at Al Marya Island Image Credit: Gulf News archives

Abu Dhabi: A screenshot of an email claiming that the first case of the Wuhan novel coronavirus has been diagnosed in Abu Dhabi is currently spreading rapidly on WhatsApp.

The email alleges a patient hospitalised at the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has tested positive for the virus, known popularly as the Wuhan nCOV, that has triggered fears of a global epidemic.

"Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi can assure the community that, to date, no patients have been diagnosed with the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), the virus originating in Wuhan, China and currently causing global concern. There are numerous forms of coronaviruses, including more prevalent human coronaviruses, and the majority of these are not considered public health risks. An email appearing to be from a member of the hospital's staff currently circulating on some social media platforms should be disregarded. We would urge people to only share confirmed news from official sources, to avoid causing unnecessary public concern," the hospital said said.

Fake email

The circulated screenshot shows an internal email from a Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi staff member, informing others at the hospital of a patient who has tested positive for the virus. He then urges the use of personal protective equipment when handling the infected patient.

Two lines of Arabic text are superimposed on the screenshot, saying that Abu Dhabi has seen its first case of the novel coronavirus, and urging everyone to stay safe and keep praying.

The purported sender of the email, as seen in the screenshot, is indeed an employee at the hospital. He, however, said that the email is a fake.

“I never sent that email out but I have got calls about it today,” he said.

The hospital issued its own statement, saying that no patient has been diagnosed to date with the Wuhan-nCoV.

“Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi can assure the community that, to date, no patients have been diagnosed with the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), the virus originating in Wuhan, China and currently causing global concern. There are numerous forms of coronaviruses, including more prevalent human coronaviruses, and the majority of these are not considered public health risks. An email appearing to be from a member of the hospital's staff currently circulating on some social media platforms should be disregarded. We would urge people to only share confirmed news from official sources, to avoid causing unnecessary public concern,” the statement said.

Incorrect details

What stands out to a keen observer is the way in which the word ‘coronavirus’ is spelt in the email. The word is incorrectly split into two: ‘corona virus’. However, this would be unlikely to come from medical professionals at a leading hospital.

The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention issued a statement on January 22 confirming that the UAE is free of the Wuhan nCoV, a newly identified coronavirus that first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.

Virus toll

The virus has spread rapidly since then, killing 56 people in China. It has also infected nearly 2,000 people in China, and there are more than 40 confirmed cases elsewhere across the globe.