While 18 deaths have been attributed to the new coronavirus currently raging across eastern Asia (China, Taiwan, Thailand), the Luxembourg Ministry of Health has estimated that the risk is "low" in Luxembourg.
The Ministry said there werecurrently no direct links between Luxembourg and the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the virus was discovered. The city of eleven million inhabitants has been in quarantine, while several airports in Asia, the Pacific Rim as well as in the United Kingdom, Nigeria and Italy, have implemented body temperature controls. The affected airports have direct air links to the Wuhan region.
Given the situation, Luxembourg authorities recommend avoiding any unnecessary journeys to the affected region, particularly for those affected with respiratory illnesses. Travellers to the are should avoid contact with people displaying symptoms of fever or coughs.
In the event that a traveller returns to Luxembourg and develops symptoms of coronavirus (fever, cough, breathing difficulties), the Ministry encourages the wearing of a mask, avoiding contact with other people, and above all to stay at home to avoid spreading the virus.
The case would then be treated not by the doctor or the emergency services but by the Health Inspectorate (+352 247- 85650) and the Health Department. The National Service for Infectious Diseases at the CHL is also equipped with rooms for isolating patients. The Ministry specified that the National Health Laboratory (LNS) is currently developing its capacity to carry out tests to identify the 2019-nCoV. At the same time, it has an agreement with the University Hospital of Charity in Berlin which can test samples on its behalf.
