ZAGREB, February 26, 2020 – A second case of coronavirus infection was confirmed in Croatia overnight. The person was in close contact with the person identified as the first case, and a third person who was in contact has initially tested negative, the head of the Fran Mihaljević hospital for infectious diseases, Alemka Markotić, said on Wednesday.
The persons infected are exhibiting mild symptoms, they receive the necessary medication and no complications are expected, Markotić told a press conference at the national civil protection headquarters.
“We have started to administer an antiviral drug that is otherwise used in HIV cases because it might be effective,” she added.
Media say that the second person to contract the coronavirus in Croatia is the brother of the young man who tested positive on Tuesday. The young man works with the Ericsson Nikola Tesla company in Zagreb. Last week he had been to Milan, Italy with his girlfriend to watch a Champions League match; she tested negative.
A total of 72 people in Croatia have been tested for coronavirus so far.
Health Minister Vili Beroš said that at this point he was satisfied with the situation in the country. “We have two confirmed cases of infection, and all the others have tested negative so far.”
“This is just the beginning, and we have sufficient medical supplies. I repeat, this disease doesn’t pose a significant threat, it’s like the common flu. More than 80 percent of the patients have mild symptoms,” the minister said.
He called on the public to follow instructions from medical authorities.
State-owned power provider HEP confirmed on Wednesday that the second person diagnosed with the novel coronavirus in Croatia is their employee. “We can confirm that one of the persons confirmed to be infected with the coronavirus is our employee posted at HEP Group headquarters in Zagreb. He was not at work yesterday, and about 15 employees assumed to have been in close contact with him have been notified today not to come to work or have been sent home,” HEP said in response to a query from Hina.
The company said that the necessary measures had been taken at the headquarters to protect the safety and health of the employees and visitors in line with instructions from the national coronavirus crisis management team.
More coronavirus news can be found in the Lifestyle section.
