Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday said that he has been shifted home after being treated for the coronavirus and undergoing plasma therapy at Rawalpindi's Military Hospital (MH), but is yet to test negative.

Qureshi had tested positive for the virus on July 3 and quarantined himself after developing a slight fever. In a tweet, he had said that he felt "strong and energetic" and would continue his duties from home.

However, he was shifted to hospital the next day, July 4, according to his spokesperson.

In a statement on Tuesday, Qureshi said he had postponed all his meetings and conferences as a precautionary measure after experiencing initial symptoms of COVID-19.

"My condition started to gradually stabilise due to being tested immediately and the starting of the treatment soon after," he said, revealing that he was also injected plasma from recovered patients.

The minister said he has now been shifted home and is feeling "a lot better". "My test samples have been taken again which Inshallah will return negative," he added.

He paid tribute to all the doctors and paramedical staff working on the frontlines of the battle against the coronavirus. He also thanked the medical staff at Military Hospital Rawalpindi for taking thorough care of him, as well as the well-wishers who prayed for his recovery.

Qureshi urged the citizens to "not panic", take precautions and contact medical experts without delay if they experience any symptoms.

Last Thursday, the foreign minister had dispelled rumours about his health after his Wikipedia profile was edited to falsely reflect that he had 'died' on July 4, saying "there was no truth to them" and that he was "doing well".

In a statement, Qureshi had said that "mischievous" elements had edited his profile on the site. "Many complications were created, and it caused distress to my loved ones and family members," he said, adding that he also started receiving phone calls.

Several politicians, including members of the ruling PTI, have been diagnosed with the virus over the past few months as it continues to spread in Pakistan. More than 254,000 people have tested positive across the country since the first case emerged on February 26 while more than 5,350 deaths have been reported.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1568969/fm-qureshi-discharged-from-hospital-after-10-days-following-COVID-19-treatment