Brazil, Pakistan announce first coronavirus cases

Shoppers in Sao Paulo buy face masks as it emerged that the coronavirus had reached Brazil. Photo: AP

Brazil's health ministry said on Wednesday a Sao Paulo resident has been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus, the first case recorded in Latin America.



The 61-year-old patient had returned on February 21 from the Lombardy region of Italy, the epicentre of an outbreak in the European country, Brazil's Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta said.



Meanwhile a public health advisor to Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeted on Wednesday that Pakistan had detected its first two cases of novel coronavirus, days after Islamabad closed its land border with Iran, where 19 people have died from the virus.



"I can confirm first two cases of corona virus in Pakistan. Both cases are being taken care of according to clinical standard protocols & both of them are stable. No need to panic, things are under control. I will hold press conf tomorrow on return from Taftan," tweeted Zafar Mirza, a public health advisor.



The patient in Brazil had visited a doctor complaining of flu symptoms. He has been placed in home isolation but is "fine," Sao Paulo Health Secretary Jose Henrique Germann Ferreira said.



Mandetta added that the man had displayed "no symptoms" when he returned last Friday.



Sao Paulo is Brazil's largest city with 12 million inhabitants.



The news comes during carnival season, when swathes of people take to the streets for a giant party while mingling in close proximity.



Sao Paulo's stock market fell five percent on Wednesday as it reopened for the first time this week, mirroring tumbling stocks around the world.



Brazil's real also dropped to a historic low of 4.421 to the US dollar. (AFP)