A third patient affected by bilateral pneumonia of unknown origin died in the province of Tucumán and the health authorities are investigating three other suspected cases of health personnel who worked in the same clinic and who have symptoms, it was officially reported this Thursday.
The provincial Minister of Health, Luis Medina Ruiz, maintained that the third fatality is a 70-year-old woman who was hospitalized at the clinic where the infections occurred due to a gallbladder operation that had complications.
The patient was in serious condition with respiratory breathing, as specified.
Medina Ruiz also reported that three new suspected cases were detected “from health personnel from the sanatorium who have symptoms and who worked in the same place where they were infected” the other six detected.
So far, nine people affected by bilateral pneumonia of unknown origin have been identified at the Luz Médica private clinic, of whom three have died.
The Tucuman Minister of Health reported that The three new patients are hospitalized, but none so far is on assisted breathing.
On Wednesday, the National Ministry of Health announced that the National Administration of Laboratories and Health Institutes (Anlis) Dr. Carlos Malbrán received the “samples from Tucumán to carry out a diagnostic expansion” of the cases of pneumonia of origin unknown.
According to what the provincial health authorities said the day before, the patients “They were already investigated for Covid, flu, influenza A and B, hanta virus and a panel with FilmArray to rule out 25 germs, giving all this negative”.
The provincial official asked the population for peace of mind and pointed out that “the situation is under control, the patients are hospitalized, isolated and there is strict monitoring by our teams in coordination with the hospitals and sanatoriums where they are located.”
He also remarked that “the samples taken have already been sent to Malbrán and we are awaiting the results. It is very likely that before the weekend we will have a response, and if it is before we will inform you.”
