2 Suspected Coronavirus Cases in Bandung Tests Negative

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Medical test results on two patients suspected of contracting the coronavirus from Wuhan, China, fortunately, came back negative. This was confirmed by the Health Ministry’s spokeswoman, Widyawati, in a text message to Tempo.

“Yes, [the tests] were negative,” said Widyawati on Monday, January 27. Her confirmation was corroborated by the hospital’s medical director and nursing Nucki Nursjamsi Hidajat in a text message to Tempo. 

Previously on Monday morning of January 27, a patient was referred to the Hasan Sadikin General hospital in Bandung after showing symptoms similar to coronavirus sufferers such as acute upper respiratory tract infections. 

According to Nucki, the 35-year old Chinese patient was admitted to the general hospital on Sunday noon bearing a reference letter from the Cahya Kawaluyaan Hospital after showing the aforementioned symptoms. 

The patient’s track record showed a recent trip to Sichuan, China, and had just arrived back in Indonesia on January 12. The patient was then placed in a special infection isolation room on Sunday evening.   

“The patient’s condition is currently stable and no longer needs respiratory support equipment,” said Nucki. 

Meanwhile, the second patient suspected to have transmitted the coronavirus was admitted to the Santo Borromeus hospital on Sunday, January 26. The patient is described as a male in his 20s from Bandung who is not related to the other coronavirus suspect case. 

The male patient came to the hospital with worse conditions compared to the other patient with convulsions and was unconscious. However, this patient had traveled to Singapore previously on January 19 to cure his epilepsy. He was admitted to the Santo Borromeus hospital after he was unable to travel to Singapore, where a coronavirus case had been confirmed. 

ANWAR SISWADI