Second case of coronavirus diagnosed in Estonia

Sign in Tallinn Airport. Photo: Sander Ilvest

The Health Board confirmed the second case of COVID-19 in Estonia yesterday.

The patient flew from Bergamo to Riga and drove a personal vehicle from there to Tallinn on February 29. They have mild symptoms and are under observation at home.

The board is looking for people who might have had contact with the patient to contact them and relay its recommendations. The health of people who have been in close contact with the patient will be monitored at home every day for a period of 14 days.

By yesterday evening, Estonia had confirmed two cases of the virus. The first person who was diagnosed took a coach from Riga to Estonia on February 27. They were taken straight to the hospital and are on their way to recovery.

Estonia had administered 100 COVID-19 tests by yesterday evening of which 98 percent came back negative. The Health Board believes tourism and business travel could bring other isolated cases of the virus to Estonia, while it is crucial to find carriers of the virus and people who might have had contact with them as quickly as possible to avoid the virus spreading.

People who have reason to suspect they’ve caught the virus should call their family physician or the family medicine hotline 1220 or the emergency number 112 if their condition worsens.

Being infected with COVID-19 could be suspected if the person has visited a high-risk area in the past 14 days and is showing the proper symptoms. The virus manifests similarly to flu and other seasonal flu-like viruses.

In addition to avoiding close contact with people who have symptoms associated with respiratory illness, infection can be avoided by observing hygiene rules an important part of which is washing hands thoroughly and often. People returning from areas with COVID-19 outbreaks should monitor their condition over 14 days and avoid going to work or school if at all possible. Those who experience fever of coughing inside the two-week period should call their doctor and mention recent travel.