Khairpur student, who returned from coronavirus-hit China, tests negative

Shahzaib Rahujo had been quarantined since his return from China as he showed suspected symptoms of contagious disease

KARACHI: A student suspected of coronavirus, who travelled from China last week, has been cleared by the health authorities.

Shahzaib Rahujo, who studies petroleum at a Chinese university located nearly 1,000km away from Wuhan – the epicenter of the deadly novel virus – returned back to his village Nangerji, near Khairpur Mirs, Sindh on February 1.

An official of the National Institute of Health Islamabad on Friday informed Irshad Ali, Rahujo’s brother, over the phone that his blood sample for coronavirus was negative.

Khairpur student put in isolation ward after return from China

“We will send you the hard copy of the test result by tomorrow [Saturday],” the official told the brother.

“It’s like an Eid day for me and my family,” excited Ali told The Express Tribune. “I am thankful to God that my brother has no virus,” Ali said.

Meanwhile, Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho in a statement late Friday evening also confirmed that Rahujo has no coronavirus.

"Shahzaib will be under treatment for other ailments but now he will not be kept at the isolation ward," she said, adding that the student will be discharged from the hospital after his fully recovery.

He had been quarantined since his return from the virus-hit country as he showed suspected symptoms of the contagious disease.

Brother of China-return student suffering from flue, fever and nose-bleeding appeals for medical aidhttps://t.co/o75gA2NfVt pic.twitter.com/43P2UMmz1i

— The Express Tribune (@etribune) February 3, 2020