Egypt Nile cruise boats become vector for coronavirus transmission as twelve test positive

Twelve new cases of the novel Coronavirus were detected in Egypt on Friday, when 12 workers aboard a Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor tested positive for the disease, according to the country's health ministry.

The workers contracted the disease from a Taiwanese-American tourist, who was diagnosed on her departure from the North African country.

According to a joint statement by Egypt's health ministry and the World Health Organisation, the group have not displayed any visible symptoms.

Until now, Egypt has seen only three cases of Covid-19, which can produce symptoms of fever and shortness of breath and in severe cases can lead to pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome and kidney failure.

The 12 workers were quarantined once they were suspected of contracting the virus, and only tested positive on Friday, the final day of their two week isolation, Arab News reported.

They have now been transferred to a specialist hospital.

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Others on the cruise who had come in contact with the tourist were also quarantined for a 14-day period. 

Egypt's first case was a 44-year-old man who arrived from Serbia after a 12-hour transit via France.

The Egyptian government did not disclose information about the other two cases, amid criticism of lack of transparency surrounding nine cases of people who had travelled from Egypt and have been diagnosed in Canada, France and the United States.

Hala Zayed, the minister of health, has rejected any accusations of a state cover-up, insisting that her government has taken all precautionary measures to combat an outbreak.

Zayed is currently in a two week quarantine after returning from a trip to China, to "show solidarity" with the Asian country, the global epicentre of the virus.



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