Two house officers at Jinnah Hospital Karachi are showing suspected symptoms of the Congo virus, national media reported on Saturday. Both doctors had recently treated a Congo virus patient, who later died on June 19 at the Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital.
According to Dr. Shahid Rasool, Executive Director of Jinnah Hospital, both medical officers have developed high fever and abdominal pain. One doctor is currently in home isolation, while the other has been admitted to the medical ICU of the hospital. He noted that one of the doctors is displaying nearly 90% of the virus’s symptoms.
The doctors began showing signs of illness the day after they provided care to the infected patient. PCR test samples have been sent to a lab, and the Congo virus test results are expected by Monday.
To manage the situation, a fever desk has been established in the emergency department. Dr. Rasool added that the hospital currently lacks the capacity for a large isolation unit, but it will comply with any directives from the health department if a dedicated facility needs to be set up.
