Thread by @DrEricDing

⚠️UNKNOWN PNEUMONIA—Very worrisome—3 people have died, 9 people infected, of which 8 medical workers, are in hospital after developing a “pneumonia of unknown origin”—Argentinian authorities announced. Not COVID or flu. #ArgentinaPneumonia

By @sneweyy
telegraph.co.uk/global-health/…

2) Three people have died and five are in hospital after developing a “pneumonia of unknown origin”, Argentinian health authorities have announced.
According to the Ministry of Health in Tucumán – 9 people in the sameprivate clinic unit have contracted mystery pneumonia.

3) Authorities are concerned about the deadly outbreak because the usual suspects – including Covid, influenza and hantavirus – have been ruled out. 5 of the 6 affected, and both of those who so far died, are also health care workers, suggesting an infectious agent 👀

4) “What these patients have in common is the severe respiratory condition with bilateral pneumonia and compromise in [x-ray] images very similar to Covid, but that is ruled out,” Luis Medina Ruiz, Tucumán’s minister of health, said on Wednesday, according to local media.

5) He added that the six patients have had a series of tests for “Covid, cold, influenza of both types A + and B +, Hantavirus and 25 other germs” but no virus has yet been identified. ⚠️

UPDATE—Hospital with the “mystery pneumonia” in Tucuman Argentina 🇦🇷 is now locked down. Health authorities are now doing DOUBLE NEGATIVE tests for all viruses to rule them out. Toxicology tests for various chemicals are also NEGATIVE so far. Still a mystery.

https://twitter.com/henrikaborym/status/1565689380118974464

7) the official added that:

📌 "19 patients remain hospitalized and a team from the Ministry evaluates the situation of each of them."

📌"The time to detect patients is 7 to 14 days”
tucumanalas7.com.ar/local/2022/9/2…

8) CLARIFICATION—🇦🇷ministry of health seems to have gotten confused. They now clarify—“At the moment we have 3 patients who are still hospitalized, of which 2 are on mechanical ventilation and 1 on non-invasive ventilation; all three in serious condition.”
msptucuman.gov.ar/situacion-actu…

9) Some rumors about legionella… but “Experts also tested for legionella, a bacteria that can cause severe pneumonia cases. Again, this came back negative.” newsweek.com/argentina-myse…

10) UPDATE— a new 10th case of the mysterious pneumonia identified by Argentina officials. Still no leads of the cause. Unknown pathogen yet. coronaheadsup.com/health/pneumon…

11) the worrisome aspect of the 10th case is that it may have occurred now at a different public hospital from the other cases at the private hospital. Hope this is not a sign of community transmission. Fingers crossed.

https://twitter.com/bnofeed/status/1565746441296961537