The first three patients have recovered from COVID-19 in the Czech Republic, and Ústi Regional Sanitary Authority head Lenka Šimůnková said that all of them were from Děčín in north Bohemia.
The three patients were also among the country’s first registered cases.
After two consecutive negative tests confirmed that they are no longer infected with the coronavirus, the cured patients will be able to return to work.
According to Pavel Dlouhý, the head of the Ústí nad Labem infectious diseases department, this is a sign that the negative trend of recent days is beginning to change for the better, and the number of cured people will increase.
“These people got infected with coronavirus in early March, which suggests that the virus persists in the body for 14 days. All three of these patients had very mild symptoms and were cured of the virus quite easily,” said Dlouhý.
However, the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the Czech Republic continues to increase. According to official data, there were 383 infected people on Tuesday morning, while the number of tested people exceeded 6,000.
Although the Czech government has arguably introduced the most strict measures in Europe to stop the spread of the disease, according to the Ipsos survey agency, 73 percents of Czechs feel threatened by the coronavirus. Nine out of 10 respondents consider the government’s steps against the spread of the virus as necessary.
Many also fear the impact of the virus on the Czech economy. The economist and former president Václav Klaus has estimated that the Czech economy will drop by 10 to 15 percent due to the epidemic.
Title image: Policeman wearing a facemask stands on guard in front of closed Prague Castle, Czech Republic, Saturday, March 14, 2020. The Czech Republic’s government has approved further dramatic measures early Saturday to try and stem the spread of the coronavirus. The government has ordered retail businesses including shopping malls to close as of Saturday morning. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
