Algeria becomes second African country to confirm coronavirus case

The Algerian health minister on Tuesday confirmed the country’s first case of the coronavirus.

Algeria becomes the second country in Africa to make such an announcement after Egypt confirmed a case this month.



Algeria’s health minister, Abdel Rahman Ben Bouzid, said on state-owned ENTV that the patient was an Italian man.



The patient arrived in Algeria on February 17 and has now been placed in isolation.



Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that the first person diagnosed with coronavirus in Africa had recovered from the virus.



The person who was diagnosed in Egypt is no longer carrying the virus.



The WHO said the man is on his way to recovery but would remain in quarantine until the 14-day period was over.

But the man would undergo further tests so he fully recovers, according to WHO officials.



Coronavirus now known officially as COVID-19 first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan.



It has since spread beyond the shores of China with thousands of cases reported as well as hundreds of deaths.



Victims often suffer from respiratory illness and this new strain of coronavirus was not previously identified in humans.



Experts have always been worried about how the continent of Africa would react and whether it was ready to fight the spread.

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