New Sars-like case confirmed in France
A second case of a deadly new respiratory virus related to Sars has been confirmed in France, the country’s health ministry said.
A hospital roommate of a 65-year-old man who initially contracted the virus has tested positive, a ministry statement issued on Sunday said.
The two shared a room for a few days in late April at Valenciennes hospital in northern France, and hence were in “prolonged and close contact”.
Both are now in hospital in nearby Lille.
Four suspected cases, all people who had contact with the initial patient, were false alarms.
The novel coronavirus has killed 18 people since being identified last year in the Middle East, out of 30 confirmed cases reported to the World Health Organisation since September 2012.
The first France patient had just returned from a holiday in Dubai.
