Nursing staff at Masvingo Provincial Hospital on Saturday reportedly panicked unnecessarily after a woman, who had just arrived from Dubai, visited the institution with mild flu.

Some rushed to conclude she had coronavirus (COVID-19), considering she had recently been out of the country.

The news spread through social media with others stating, as a fact, that the woman had the virus. However, upon closer observation by senior health personnel at the institution, the woman was found to be asymptomatic to coronavirus as she neither had high temperatures nor fever among other symptoms. She was sent home after being attended to.

Dismissing the social media reports, Masvingo Hospital medical superintendent, Dr Julius Chirengwa said the woman referred to, had no symptoms of the virus and was only suffering from ordinary flu.

“The woman who is being talked about came to hospital on Saturday, having returned from a recent visit to Dubai and she did not even show symptoms of coronavirus.

“She was suffering from ordinary flu and there was nothing to suggest that she had coronavirus. She only visited the hospital as a precautionary measure,’’ said Dr Chirengwa.

“She was immediately released and went home and we just recommended self-quarantine as a precautionary measure but she never showed symptoms of coronavirus, its just the usual rumours on social media.’’

Recently, about 22 people went into self quarantine in Masvingo city as a precautionary measure having returned into the country from outside coronavirus hot spots around the world.