Tests for Egypt's only coronavirus case come negative

A foreign national who was recently announced to be Egypt's first case with the novel coronavirus has tested negative for the virus, the World Health Organization (WHO) and Egypt's Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

In a joint statement, both health bodies announced that the RT-PCR results of the foreigner came back 48 hours after the person was admitted to a hospital for quarantine.

The person suspected of having contracted the virus had undergone six RT-PCR tests during a period of three consecutive days, the statement said, adding that the results of the tests came back negative each time.

"The health status of the person was monitored by medical teams around the clock ... the person did not show any symptoms during the isolation period," the statement read.

On February 14, the Egyptian Health Ministry announced what was believed to be the country's first case of the novel coronavirus. The identity and nationality of the patient were not disclosed.