Bassam Za za, Special to Gulf News — Beirut: Loujain Adada, a well-known Lebanese supermodel and TV presenter, has tested positive for coronavirus following a trip to Britain. The news was reported in various Arabic news outlets. In even more grim news, her two daughters also tested positive. With this, the number of coronavirus cases in Lebanon has gone up to 22. Lebanese Public Health Ministry officials said the woman had just returned from the UK, without naming Adada. On Wednesday, Lebanese health officials had said there were 15 cases, including a 14-year-old girl, all of whom were being quarantined at the Rafik Hariri University Hospital (RHUH). One of the cases discovered on Wednesday was of a man who visited Egypt. “The woman [Adada] suffered high fever and other respiratory symptoms that were bit similar to the coronavirus signs … she was suspected to be suffering from coronavirus disease so we transferred her to the government-appointed hospital [RHUH] as all suspected cases are being referred to it,” an administrator at the American University of Beirut Medical Centre (AUBMC) told Gulf News.

“She was transferred to RHUH for diagnosis and further isolation and treatment measures,” read AUBMC’s media statement on Thursday. Adada married Saudi billionaire businessman Walid Juffali at a Venice ceremony in 2012. Dr Hamad Hassan, Lebanese Minister of Public Health, said hospitals were prepared to tackle coronavirus in the country. All the patients so far were those coming from affected countries or were infected through “close contact” with a family member or neighbour, he said. All patients with Covid-19 are being treated at RHUH, according to Dr Hassan, and more than 140 beds have been designated to isolate and monitor suspected cases.

Earlier this week, health officials said the first coronavirus patient in the country, a 45-year-old woman who had tested positive after a pilgrimage to Iran’s virus-hit area of Qom, showed improvement and tested negative. In its daily report, RHUH said on Thursday that the facility received 74 suspected cases, out of which 25 people were quarantined as a precautionary measure and the rest were discharged and advised to be self-quarantined.