—Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

The first case of coronavirus has been diagnosed in Multan after a man showing symptoms of the deadly virus was admitted to Nishtar Hospital.

According to details, the 40-year-old resident was working on a project in the industrial estate and had just returned from Wuhan, China, a few days ago.

The patient has been admitted to the Isolation Ward and test samples have been sent to the laboratory.

It is pertinent to remember that other than China, the cases have also been found in Singapore, Japan, Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam and the United States. Reportedly, there are more than 500 confirmed cases of the virus so far around the world.

The respiratory coronavirus has sickened more than 800 in China and killed at least 26. The outbreak began last month in the city of Wuhan in Hubei. Scientists have identified the illness as a new kind of coronavirus, a large family of viruses, some of which cause the common cold.

China has confirmed 830 cases of patients infected with the new coronavirus while the authorities have been examining 1,072 suspected cases of the virus.

The virus, which started in Wuhan city in Hubei province last month, has since spread to other major cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong.