The Near East University Institute of DESAM, which announced that it had detected the British variant of Covid-19, which had mutated and whose transmission rate increased by 30 percent, reached the TRNC in the second half of January, have now stated that the first case in TRNC, believed to be detected in German tourists staying at the Salamis Hotel, was in fact a local case found retrospectively in 17-year-old male.
According to the statement made by the NEU, the cases of coronavirus seen in the TRNC were analysed retrospectively and it was discovered that the virus was first seen in the TRNC in a 17-year-old male patient in Famagusta, not in the German tourist group as announced on March 10, 2020.
The aim of the study was to determine whether the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which caused the spread of the coronavirus in the TRNC, was seen in society before the outbreak of the pandemic.
Samples of 172 patients who were in the Near East University Hospital with suspected respiratory tract infection between September 1, 2019 and March 15, 2020 were retrospectively screened.
As a result of the research, one sample dated March 11, 2020 was found to be positive from the samples examined.
According to the statement, this result was confirmed by three different real-time RT-PCR tests.
The statement continued as follows:
“The positive sample belongs to a 17-year-old male patient who came to the Near East University Hospital from Famagusta State Hospital at that time.
“Considering the 2-14 day incubation period of the virus, it is understood that the patient, who was found to be positive, was exposed to the virus before the German tourist group arrived, which was announced as the first case in TRNC.
“Thus, it was determined that the 17-year-old patient who was admitted to the hospital with fever, cough, severe muscle and joint pain at that time was the first Covid-19 case in the TRNC.
“The positive result of the patient’s sample dated March 11, 2020 shows that the virus was seen in the TRNC before the arrival of the German tourist group, the first case announced by the TRNC Ministry of Health on March 10, 2020. The determination that the patient has a history of Colvid-19 with the antibody test dated February 1, 2021, which was taken with the patient’s approval, confirms this result.”
Kibris Postasi
Source: LGC News https://www.lgcnews.com/covid-19-in-trnc-six-months-earlier-than-reported/
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