Popular Saudi TV doctor admitted to hospital with coronavirus

A popular TV doctor in Saudi Arabia has been diagnosed with coronavirus, the latest high-profile case of the disease in the kingdom.

Dr. Nezar Bahabri, a Saudi infectious diseases consultant, was admitted to a Jeddah hospital on Monday after experiencing symptoms of Covid-19 over the past week, including a high temperature, according to Arab News.

There has been no word on his condition.

Dr Bahabri had been on the frontlines in the kingdom's battle against Covid-19, treating 500 patients with the disease.

He also highlighted the issue of coronavirus via his popular social media channels and is commonly quoted in Saudi newspapers about the effects of Covid-19.

Last month, Dr. Bahabri sounded the alarm about a "disturbing spike" in Covid-19 cases in the kingdom, which he attributed to socialising during the Eid Al-Fitr holidays.

The rise in infections during this period led to the kingdom's first Covid-19 related death of a physician - Naeem Chaudhry, a Pakistani doctor who was working at a Mecca hospital.

Saudi Arabia is set to host a scaled-down version of the Hajj pilgrimage, due to the coronavirus.

Saudi Arabia has recorded nearly 269,000 cases of Covid-19 and see 2,760 deaths.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay connected