The Egypt Medical Syndicate (EMS) announced, on Thursday, three new coronavirus (COVID-19) fatalities among doctors, bringing the total number of deaths from the virus among physicians to 12 so far.

The syndicate identified the doctors as: Dr Yasser Othman, a chest consultant at Al Mamoura Chest Hospital in Alexandria; Dr Abdel Nasser Hassan, Head of the General Physical Therapy Syndicate in Luxor; and Dr Karem Mahmoud, Head of the Internal Medicine Department, at Luxor International Hospital. 

In earlier comments, EMS council member Ibrahim El-Zayat said that about 178 doctors across Egypt have been infected with the coronavirus so far. 

Dr Mohamed Safi El-Din, the head of Al Matareya Teaching Hospital, said on Wednesday that 19 medical and administrative staff at the hospital tested positive for the coronavirus. 

Safi El-Din said that a nurse was patient zero, and passed it on to her colleagues, as she had been in contact with her father-in-law who died from the virus. 

Al-Zahraa University Hospital, affiliated with Al-Azhar University, was closed after the number of coronavirus infections among medical staff and other workers reached 135. 

Al-Azhar University Vice-President Dr Mahmoud Sadek said that 20% of infections at the hospital are among medical staff.