Since the Covid-19 pandemic, any announcement of this kind would be chilling.
A third person has died in northwestern Argentina from severe pneumonia "of unknown origin" which intrigues the medical profession, local health authorities said on Thursday.
Nine people in all, including eight members of the medical staff of the same private clinic in Tucuman, in the north-west of Argentina, have been affected by the respiratory pathology and three have died since Monday, the press told the press. Provincial Minister of Health, Luis Medina Ruiz.
The third victim is “a 70-year-old patient, who was hospitalized” for surgery at the same clinic.
According to Luis Medina Ruiz, she could be "
patient zero
, but that's on the exam".
The six initial cases had presented symptoms between August 18 and 22, the three new cases announced on Thursday presented symptoms between August 20 and 23. Of these three new cases, two are hospitalized, and one is being monitored at home.
Current analyzes
“These patients have in common a severe respiratory state with bilateral pneumonia, and present imaging very similar to Covid, but this has been ruled out,” provincial minister Luis Medina Ruiz told the press.
The cases "have already been tested for Covid, influenza, influenza A and B, hantavirus (rodent-borne infections), and 25 other germs," all of which tested negative, he said. he adds.
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According to Luis Medina Ruiz, it may be an infectious agent, but toxic and environmental causes are not excluded.
Analyzes are in progress in particular on the water or the air conditioning systems.
Samples have also been sent for further analysis to the national reference laboratory, the Instituto Malbran in Buenos Aires, and results are expected by the end of the week.