Coronavirus cause of Algeria president's hospitalisation

The presidency said that the state of 74-year-old Tebboune's health is “gradually improving” and he “continues to receive treatment in a specialised German hospital after contracting COVID-19.” It was the first time that officials explicitly mentioned COVID-19 in connection with the October 28 hospitalisation. They previously referred to it as being “care in a specialized structure,” without identifying the ailment.

Algeria's secretive presidency confirmed Wednesday that the mysterious illness that caused President Abdelmadjid Tebboune to be hospitalised in Germany last month was the coronavirus. The presidency said that the state of 74-year-old Tebboune's health is “gradually improving” and he “continues to receive treatment in a specialised German hospital after contracting COVID-19.” It was the first time that officials explicitly mentioned COVID-19 in connection with the October 28 hospitalisation.

They previously referred to it as being “care in a specialized structure,” without identifying the ailment. Prior to his hospitalisation, several senior officials in the president's entourage had developed COVID-19 symptoms, and Tebboune had been placed in what the government called “voluntary preventive confinement.” But it was initially unclear if Tebboune's current state was connected.