South Africa Confirms First Coronavirus Case

South Africa has become the latest country in sub-Saharan Africa to confirm a coronavirus case.

South Africa’s Ministry of Health on Thursday announced that a 38-year-old man who had traveled to Italy recently was diagnosed with the dreaded disease.

This is the third coronavirus case in sub-Saharan Africa after Nigeria and Senegal and the first in southern Africa.

In a statement, SA Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said the case was confirmed in eastern Kwa-Zulu Natal province.

"This morning... the National Institute for Communicable Diseases confirmed that a suspected case of COVID-19 has tested positive," said Mkhize.

The patient had traveled to Italy with his wife and eight other people and returned to the country on March 1st. Two days later, he went to a private hospital after he developed a fever, headache, sore throat and a cough.

Italy is the second-most affected country after China, where the deadly virus originated. 107 people have succumbed to the virus in Italy while over 3,000 have been infected.