Web Report

A Chinese family on holiday in the UAE are the first people in the Middle East to be given positive coronavirus diagnoses.

The mother, father, nine-year-old girl and grandmother from Wuhan were confirmed to have the virus after visiting a local health clinic, a week into their trip.

They arrived in the Emirates on January 16 and took the grandmother to a doctor with flu-like symptoms on January 23, a top health official said.

Officials are retracing the family’s steps to find out with whom they came into contact.

Dr Hussein Al Rand, assistant undersecretary at the Ministry of Health and Prevention, said on Wednesday that the four were stable and under close observation.

Dr Al Rand did not reveal where the family were being treated and declined to say at which airport they arrived or where they stayed.

“The four members of the family were diagnosed with coronavirus at a UAE health facility. They are in the hospital, have been quarantined and are being treated,” he said.

He repeated statements from the ministry saying there was no need for the public to panic.

“Hospitals across the country have been issued guidelines to follow,” Dr Al Rand said.

“If a patient walks into a hospital, medics will follow the case definition that, in this case, matches the profile of the patient with the symptoms.

“If a patient complains of cough and fever and has recently travelled to China, they will be immediately quarantined. He said there would be no need to close schools or businesses. “There is no reason they should declare a holiday,” Dr Al Rand said.

On Wednesday, many pharmacies sold out of face masks and on Dubai retailer Noon.com the most popular purchase was a 3M particle mask for Dh150, beating the new iPhone and Apple AirPods. The fifth and sixth most popular products were also face masks.

Chinese tourists in particular were seen around Dubai and Abu Dhabi wearing face masks, although they are common in Asia.

Dr Al Rand said they were not necessary and that simple precautions can prevent any virus from spreading.

“If people want to use masks, it’s up to them,” he said. “There are special masks but I will suggest proper hand-washing and hygiene.

“If anyone feels sick, they should stay home and get themselves checked.”

Dr Al Rand said people should look to updates from official sources.

The ministry earlier announced that coronavirus had spread to the UAE early on Wednesday.