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[COVID-19 Virus] The PRC Situation Thread
- Thread starter laksaboy
- Start date
Why are there uncovered people lingering around? They should flee!
We cannot afford to have china population totally wiped out. The world will be in a recession.
We cannot afford to have china population totally wiped out. The world will be in a recession.
Human-to-Human transmission is very likely for Wuhan virus, however there are no indication that it is more potent than SARS.
China confirms 139 new cases of pneumonia, virus spreads to Beijing and Shenzhen
The outbreak is centred around the central city of Wuhan AFP/Noel Celis
20 Jan 2020 07:55AM(Updated: 20 Jan 2020 12:54PM)
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BEIJING: China on Monday (Jan 20) reported a third death and 139 new cases of pneumonia over the weekend, caused by the outbreak of a new coronavirus strain that medical experts are still struggling to understand.
Officials also confirmed the virus had been detected in Beijing and Guangdong province, marking the first instances of the illness spreading beyond Wuhan, the city where the cases were first discovered.
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Health authorities in Beijing's Daxing district said two people who had travelled to Wuhan were treated for pneumonia linked to the virus and are in stable condition.
In Guangdong, a 66-year-old man in Shenzhen was quarantined on Jan 11 after contracting a fever and showing other symptoms following a trip to visit relatives in Wuhan, the provincial health commission said in a statement.
READ: Wuhan virus outbreak: What we know so far
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"Experts believe that the current epidemic situation is still preventable and controllable," the Guangdong health commission said.
Separately, China's eastern province of Zhejiang on Monday reported that five patients are in quarantine for respiratory illness but the diagnosis is not confirmed yet.
The patients are in stable condition and their close contacts have been placed under medical observation, said Zhejiang province's health commission.
READ: China to step up countermeasures as Wuhan virus outbreak grows
In Wuhan, the local health commission said 136 new cases were found over the weekend, without giving details about the person who died.
Among the new cases in the city, 66 are male and 70 are female, ranging in age between 25 and 89 years old. Their symptoms included fever, coughing or tightness of the chest and breathing difficulties, a statement from the health commission said.
No human-to-human transmission has been confirmed so far, but Wuhan's health commission has previously said the possibility 'cannot be excluded' AFP/STR
More than 200 people have now been diagnosed with the virus across China.
In Wuhan, 170 people are still being treated at hospitals, including nine in critical condition.
China, the World Health Organization and authorities across the globe are stepping up efforts to contain the virus, which initially emerged in Wuhan in late December as a wave of pneumonia patients.
Four cases have been confirmed abroad - two in Thailand, one in Japan and one in South Korea - involving people who recently visited Wuhan.
READ: Wuhan pneumonia virus casts shadow over Chinese New Year festival
READ: Hundreds likely affected by China virus: Researchers
Many of China's 1.4 billion people will travel domestically and abroad during the Chinese New Year break that begins this week, raising concerns about the virus spreading to other countries.
The virus belongs in the same family of coronaviruses as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which killed nearly 800 people globally during a 2002-2003 outbreak that also started in China.
Though some experts say the new virus may not be as deadly as SARS, there is still little known about it including its origin and how easily it can be transmitted between humans.
The outbreak centred around a seafood market in the central city of Wuhan AFP/Noel Celis
The World Health Organization said on Sunday that some of the new cases appear not to be linked to the Huanan seafood market, believed to be the centre of the outbreak.
Scientists with the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis at Imperial College in London warned in a paper published Friday that the number of cases in the city was likely to be closer to 1,700, much higher than the number officially identified.
Due to China's efforts to implement broader screening, new cases may be identified in the coming days and weeks, it added.
READ: MOH monitoring China pneumonia outbreak, will implement temperature screening at Changi Airport
READ: US to screen passengers for new China coronavirus at three airports
Wuhan, a city of 11 million inhabitants that serve as a major transport hub, will strengthen oversight of big events and reduce the number of public gatherings, state media quoted Chen Yanxin, the city's deputy mayor as saying on Sunday.
Wuhan deputy mayor Chen Xiexin said on state broadcaster CCTV at the weekend that infrared thermometers had been installed at airports, railway stations and coach stations across the city.
Chen said passengers with fevers were being registered, given masks and taken to medical institutions. Nearly 300,000 body temperature tests had been carried out, according to CCTV.
Authorities in Hong Kong have stepped up detection measures, including rigorous temperature checkpoints for inbound travellers from the Chinese mainland.
Airport authorities in Singapore, the United States as well as most Asian nations are also screening passengers from Wuhan.
Source: Agencies/nc
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The outbreak is centred around the central city of Wuhan AFP/Noel Celis
20 Jan 2020 07:55AM(Updated: 20 Jan 2020 12:54PM)
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BEIJING: China on Monday (Jan 20) reported a third death and 139 new cases of pneumonia over the weekend, caused by the outbreak of a new coronavirus strain that medical experts are still struggling to understand.
Officials also confirmed the virus had been detected in Beijing and Guangdong province, marking the first instances of the illness spreading beyond Wuhan, the city where the cases were first discovered.
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Olivia Siong@OliviaSiongCNA
https://twitter.com/OliviaSiongCNA/status/1219038094424326144
BREAKING: Chinese media reporting cases of #WuhanPneumonia for the first time out of the city. Two cases in Beijing, one in Guangdong province
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Health authorities in Beijing's Daxing district said two people who had travelled to Wuhan were treated for pneumonia linked to the virus and are in stable condition.
In Guangdong, a 66-year-old man in Shenzhen was quarantined on Jan 11 after contracting a fever and showing other symptoms following a trip to visit relatives in Wuhan, the provincial health commission said in a statement.
READ: Wuhan virus outbreak: What we know so far
Advertisement
"Experts believe that the current epidemic situation is still preventable and controllable," the Guangdong health commission said.
Separately, China's eastern province of Zhejiang on Monday reported that five patients are in quarantine for respiratory illness but the diagnosis is not confirmed yet.
The patients are in stable condition and their close contacts have been placed under medical observation, said Zhejiang province's health commission.
READ: China to step up countermeasures as Wuhan virus outbreak grows
In Wuhan, the local health commission said 136 new cases were found over the weekend, without giving details about the person who died.
Among the new cases in the city, 66 are male and 70 are female, ranging in age between 25 and 89 years old. Their symptoms included fever, coughing or tightness of the chest and breathing difficulties, a statement from the health commission said.
No human-to-human transmission has been confirmed so far, but Wuhan's health commission has previously said the possibility 'cannot be excluded' AFP/STR
More than 200 people have now been diagnosed with the virus across China.
In Wuhan, 170 people are still being treated at hospitals, including nine in critical condition.
China, the World Health Organization and authorities across the globe are stepping up efforts to contain the virus, which initially emerged in Wuhan in late December as a wave of pneumonia patients.
Four cases have been confirmed abroad - two in Thailand, one in Japan and one in South Korea - involving people who recently visited Wuhan.
READ: Wuhan pneumonia virus casts shadow over Chinese New Year festival
READ: Hundreds likely affected by China virus: Researchers
Many of China's 1.4 billion people will travel domestically and abroad during the Chinese New Year break that begins this week, raising concerns about the virus spreading to other countries.
The virus belongs in the same family of coronaviruses as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which killed nearly 800 people globally during a 2002-2003 outbreak that also started in China.
Though some experts say the new virus may not be as deadly as SARS, there is still little known about it including its origin and how easily it can be transmitted between humans.
The outbreak centred around a seafood market in the central city of Wuhan AFP/Noel Celis
The World Health Organization said on Sunday that some of the new cases appear not to be linked to the Huanan seafood market, believed to be the centre of the outbreak.
Scientists with the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis at Imperial College in London warned in a paper published Friday that the number of cases in the city was likely to be closer to 1,700, much higher than the number officially identified.
Due to China's efforts to implement broader screening, new cases may be identified in the coming days and weeks, it added.
READ: MOH monitoring China pneumonia outbreak, will implement temperature screening at Changi Airport
READ: US to screen passengers for new China coronavirus at three airports
Wuhan, a city of 11 million inhabitants that serve as a major transport hub, will strengthen oversight of big events and reduce the number of public gatherings, state media quoted Chen Yanxin, the city's deputy mayor as saying on Sunday.
Wuhan deputy mayor Chen Xiexin said on state broadcaster CCTV at the weekend that infrared thermometers had been installed at airports, railway stations and coach stations across the city.
Chen said passengers with fevers were being registered, given masks and taken to medical institutions. Nearly 300,000 body temperature tests had been carried out, according to CCTV.
Authorities in Hong Kong have stepped up detection measures, including rigorous temperature checkpoints for inbound travellers from the Chinese mainland.
Airport authorities in Singapore, the United States as well as most Asian nations are also screening passengers from Wuhan.
Source: Agencies/nc
Tagged Topics
Wuhan pneumonia virus outbreak: What we know so far
Security guards monitor a seafood market in Wuhan after it was shuttered following the outbreak of a mystery respiratory virus. (File photo: AFP/Noel Celis)
20 Jan 2020 10:14AM(Updated: 20 Jan 2020 01:29PM)
As of Jan 20, there were more than 200 confirmed cases of patients with pneumonia caused by the new strain of coronavirus. Their symptoms included fever, coughing and difficulty breathing.
Of the 198 patients in Wuhan itself, three have died and 25 have been cured.
Thailand has also reported two confirmed cases of the pneumonia, both of whom were Chinese tourists from Wuhan. Japan has also confirmed one case of a Japanese citizen who visited Wuhan.
South Korea on Monday reported its first confirmed case of the coronavirus - a 35-year-old Chinese woman who flew from Wuhan to Incheon international airport on Sunday.
LITTLE KNOWN ABOUT VIRUS ITSELF
China's National Health Commission said in a statement on Jan 19 the source of the virus hasn't been found and that its transmission path has not been fully mapped.
The outbreak is strongly linked to a seafood market in Wuhan, but some patients diagnosed with the new coronavirus deny exposure to this market.
The Wuhan seafood market thought to be the source of the outbreak has been closed. (Photo: AFP/Noel Celis)
Health officials have said there is no clear evidence the virus spreads easily from one person to another, but they cannot rule out the possibility of human-to-human transmission.
Wuhan municipal authorities released information about a married couple that contracted the virus on Jan 15. The husband, who got sick first, worked at the market but the wife denied any exposure to the market in question.
The authorities did not explicitly state whether this was a case of human-to-human transmission, however.
COUNTERMEASURES
There is no vaccine for the new virus. Symptoms include fever, difficulty in breathing as well as pneumonic infiltrates in the lungs.
Chinese authorities have stepped up monitoring and disinfection efforts ahead of the Chinese New Year holiday in late January, when many of the country's 1.4 billion people will travel domestically and overseas.
READ: Commentary: China's Wuhan pneumonia outbreak stirs debate over costly virus hunting
READ: Wuhan pneumonia virus casts shadow over Chinese New Year festival
Airport authorities in the United States as well as many Asian countries, including Singapore, Japan, Thailand and South Korea, have stepped up screening of passengers from Wuhan.
The World Health Organization sent directives to hospitals around the world on infection prevention and control.
Source: Reuters/nc
Security guards monitor a seafood market in Wuhan after it was shuttered following the outbreak of a mystery respiratory virus. (File photo: AFP/Noel Celis)
20 Jan 2020 10:14AM(Updated: 20 Jan 2020 01:29PM)
As of Jan 20, there were more than 200 confirmed cases of patients with pneumonia caused by the new strain of coronavirus. Their symptoms included fever, coughing and difficulty breathing.
Of the 198 patients in Wuhan itself, three have died and 25 have been cured.
Thailand has also reported two confirmed cases of the pneumonia, both of whom were Chinese tourists from Wuhan. Japan has also confirmed one case of a Japanese citizen who visited Wuhan.
South Korea on Monday reported its first confirmed case of the coronavirus - a 35-year-old Chinese woman who flew from Wuhan to Incheon international airport on Sunday.
LITTLE KNOWN ABOUT VIRUS ITSELF
China's National Health Commission said in a statement on Jan 19 the source of the virus hasn't been found and that its transmission path has not been fully mapped.
The outbreak is strongly linked to a seafood market in Wuhan, but some patients diagnosed with the new coronavirus deny exposure to this market.
The Wuhan seafood market thought to be the source of the outbreak has been closed. (Photo: AFP/Noel Celis)
Health officials have said there is no clear evidence the virus spreads easily from one person to another, but they cannot rule out the possibility of human-to-human transmission.
Wuhan municipal authorities released information about a married couple that contracted the virus on Jan 15. The husband, who got sick first, worked at the market but the wife denied any exposure to the market in question.
The authorities did not explicitly state whether this was a case of human-to-human transmission, however.
COUNTERMEASURES
There is no vaccine for the new virus. Symptoms include fever, difficulty in breathing as well as pneumonic infiltrates in the lungs.
Chinese authorities have stepped up monitoring and disinfection efforts ahead of the Chinese New Year holiday in late January, when many of the country's 1.4 billion people will travel domestically and overseas.
READ: Commentary: China's Wuhan pneumonia outbreak stirs debate over costly virus hunting
READ: Wuhan pneumonia virus casts shadow over Chinese New Year festival
Airport authorities in the United States as well as many Asian countries, including Singapore, Japan, Thailand and South Korea, have stepped up screening of passengers from Wuhan.
The World Health Organization sent directives to hospitals around the world on infection prevention and control.
Source: Reuters/nc
SARS came in nov which was autumn, now this corona strain came in autumn early winter as well...if it's cold weather related it is relatively safe to say when spring comes about the virus should dissipate, however if it spreads even more vigorously in spring than its really time to take precaution
The tiongs hygiene standard is really one kind not too sure other than fucking a seal or whale or consuming raw seafood how could this virus manifest when it is winter and seafood are by nature covered in salt which should is helped to kill germs
China to step up countermeasures as Wuhan virus outbreak grows
Medical staff members carry a patient into the Jinyintan hospital, where patients infected by a mysterious SARS-like virus are being treated, in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province on Jan 18, 2020. (STR/AFP)
20 Jan 2020 06:13AM
(Updated: 20 Jan 2020 05:28PM)
Bookmark
BEIJING: China will step up efforts to contain the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan ahead of the Chinese New Year holidays as a rise in confirmed cases fanned fears the virus could spread to other countries.
The National Health Commission said on Sunday (Jan 19) departments should work together to carry out preventative measures.
"Our commission will step up our guard during the Spring Festival, pay close attention to the development and change of the epidemic, and direct the implementation of prevention and control measures," the commission said, adding that it believes the outbreak can be controlled.
READ: Wuhan pneumonia virus casts shadow over Chinese New Year festival
Wuhan's health authority confirmed earlier on Sunday 17 more cases of the virus in the city, bringing the total number of known patients there to 62.
Two people have died from the virus in Wuhan, the largest city in central China with a population of about 11 million people. Three cases have been confirmed abroad - two in Thailand and one in Japan - involving people from Wuhan or who recently visited the city.
China, the World Health Organisation and authorities across the globe are stepping up efforts to contain the virus, which initially emerged in Wuhan in late December as a wave of pneumonia patients.
READ: Hundreds likely affected by China virus, say researchers
Many of China's 1.4 billion people will travel domestically and abroad during the Chinese New Year break that begins next week, raising concerns about the virus spreading to other countries.
The virus belongs in the same family of coronaviruses as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which killed nearly 800 people globally during a 2002/03 outbreak that also started in China.
Though some experts say the new virus may not be as deadly as SARS, there is still little known about it including its origin and how easily it can be transmitted between humans.
The World Health Organization said on Sunday that some of the new cases appear not to be linked to the Huanan seafood market, believed to be the centre of the outbreak. Due to China's efforts to implement broader screening, new cases may be identified in the coming days and weeks, it added.
"The fact that three cases have been exported to Thailand and Japan without connection to the Huanan Seafood Market suggests that the virus has spread beyond the Huanan Seafood Market into the community," said David Hui, a professor of respiratory medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Wuhan will strengthen oversight of big events and reduce the number of public gatherings, state media quoted Chen Yanxin, the city's deputy mayor as saying on Sunday.
Wuhan officials said since Jan 14 they are using infrared thermometers at airports, railway stations and other passenger terminals in the city to strengthen screening.
Airport authorities in the United States as well as most Asian nations are screening passengers from Wuhan.
A report by the London Imperial College's MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis said there are likely to be "substantially more cases". It estimated that by Jan 12 there were 1,723 cases in Wuhan City with onset of related symptoms.
Source: Reuters/de
Medical staff members carry a patient into the Jinyintan hospital, where patients infected by a mysterious SARS-like virus are being treated, in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province on Jan 18, 2020. (STR/AFP)
20 Jan 2020 06:13AM
(Updated: 20 Jan 2020 05:28PM)
Bookmark
BEIJING: China will step up efforts to contain the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan ahead of the Chinese New Year holidays as a rise in confirmed cases fanned fears the virus could spread to other countries.
The National Health Commission said on Sunday (Jan 19) departments should work together to carry out preventative measures.
"Our commission will step up our guard during the Spring Festival, pay close attention to the development and change of the epidemic, and direct the implementation of prevention and control measures," the commission said, adding that it believes the outbreak can be controlled.
READ: Wuhan pneumonia virus casts shadow over Chinese New Year festival
Wuhan's health authority confirmed earlier on Sunday 17 more cases of the virus in the city, bringing the total number of known patients there to 62.
Two people have died from the virus in Wuhan, the largest city in central China with a population of about 11 million people. Three cases have been confirmed abroad - two in Thailand and one in Japan - involving people from Wuhan or who recently visited the city.
China, the World Health Organisation and authorities across the globe are stepping up efforts to contain the virus, which initially emerged in Wuhan in late December as a wave of pneumonia patients.
READ: Hundreds likely affected by China virus, say researchers
Many of China's 1.4 billion people will travel domestically and abroad during the Chinese New Year break that begins next week, raising concerns about the virus spreading to other countries.
The virus belongs in the same family of coronaviruses as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which killed nearly 800 people globally during a 2002/03 outbreak that also started in China.
Though some experts say the new virus may not be as deadly as SARS, there is still little known about it including its origin and how easily it can be transmitted between humans.
The World Health Organization said on Sunday that some of the new cases appear not to be linked to the Huanan seafood market, believed to be the centre of the outbreak. Due to China's efforts to implement broader screening, new cases may be identified in the coming days and weeks, it added.
"The fact that three cases have been exported to Thailand and Japan without connection to the Huanan Seafood Market suggests that the virus has spread beyond the Huanan Seafood Market into the community," said David Hui, a professor of respiratory medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Wuhan will strengthen oversight of big events and reduce the number of public gatherings, state media quoted Chen Yanxin, the city's deputy mayor as saying on Sunday.
Wuhan officials said since Jan 14 they are using infrared thermometers at airports, railway stations and other passenger terminals in the city to strengthen screening.
Airport authorities in the United States as well as most Asian nations are screening passengers from Wuhan.
A report by the London Imperial College's MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis said there are likely to be "substantially more cases". It estimated that by Jan 12 there were 1,723 cases in Wuhan City with onset of related symptoms.
Source: Reuters/de
Now things are going to get worse....
Chinese travellers unfazed as SARS-like virus spreads
The Chinese New Year travel period is humanity's biggest migration as millions head for reunions with their families. (Photo: AFP/Hector Retamal)
20 Jan 2020 05:46PM
Bookmark
BEIJING: An outbreak of a mysterious virus has not deterred millions of people in China from packing into crowded trains as they head home for the Chinese New Year - but some are donning masks as a precaution.
The world's biggest annual travel rush comes as a SARS-like coronavirus has spread from the central city of Wuhan to Beijing, southern Guangdong province and three Asian countries, with more than 200 people stricken including three fatalities.
Scientists have yet to determine if the disease can be transmitted from human to human, which would raise the risk of more people getting sick as they sit next to each other on long rides to their hometowns.
But going back to the countryside or other parts of the country to gather with family is an annual ritual that is impossible to miss - the country will come to a grinding halt from Friday (Jan 24) until Thursday next week as it celebrates the incoming Year of the Rat.
More than 100 million train trips have already been taken since the mass migration began about 10 days ago, the national railway operator said Sunday.
Lines formed on Monday at ticket booths outside Beijing Railway Station, where commuters - young and old - gathered with their luggage and souvenirs.
Li Yang, 28, an account manager from northern Inner Mongolia region, said it had been five to six years since she returned to her hometown from Beijing.
"It's hard to guard against such viruses," she told AFP.
"Watching the news, I do feel a little worried. But I haven't taken precautionary measures beyond wearing regular masks," she added. "Even if I remained in Beijing, I would have to visit public spaces."
A worker in the finance sector surnamed Guo added that she and her friends had been reminding each other to wear masks as a precaution.
"We're not sure how else we can protect ourselves, but I am generally vigilant," said the 26-year-old. "What else can we do? We still have to go home over the Spring Festival."
"AVOID PUBLIC PLACES"
The new coronavirus has caused alarm because of its connection to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which killed nearly 650 people across mainland China and Hong Kong in 2002-2003.
Authorities in Wuhan, a city of 11 million people that also serves as a major transport hub, said Monday a third person was confirmed to have died and 136 new cases were found over the weekend.
READ: Hundreds likely affected by China virus: Researchers
Hundreds of millions of Chinese people head to their hometowns for Chinese New Year but many travellers seemed unfazed by the mystery virus. (Photo: AFP/Hector Retamal)
A Wuhan seafood market is believed to be the epicentre of the virus, and the World Health Organization said an animal source seemed most likely to be the "primary" culprit.
In Hong Kong, 106 people were being monitored with authorities keeping a close eye on developments, especially given the proximity of Guangdong to the densely packed financial hub.
Passengers arriving at the city's airport and high speed train terminals have been subject to increased monitoring, including temperature checks.
READ: China to step up countermeasures as Wuhan virus outbreak grows
People wait to board trains at Hongqiao Railway Station in Shanghai on Jan 20, 2020. (Photo: AFP/Hector Retamal)
Health officials said Monday they were expanding their enhanced checks to include anyone coming in from Hubei province, not just Wuhan. All passengers flying in from Wuhan will also be asked to fill out a health declaration form.
At Shanghai's busy Hongqiao Railway Station, some in the crowd wore masks, but not significantly more than usually seen in the eastern city. No flu screening stations or signs were seen.
A 25-year-old woman surnamed Jiang, who works for a medical device company, was heading to her hometown in Hubei, the province where Wuhan is located.
Chinese travellers unfazed as SARS-like virus spreads
The Chinese New Year travel period is humanity's biggest migration as millions head for reunions with their families. (Photo: AFP/Hector Retamal)
20 Jan 2020 05:46PM
Bookmark
BEIJING: An outbreak of a mysterious virus has not deterred millions of people in China from packing into crowded trains as they head home for the Chinese New Year - but some are donning masks as a precaution.
The world's biggest annual travel rush comes as a SARS-like coronavirus has spread from the central city of Wuhan to Beijing, southern Guangdong province and three Asian countries, with more than 200 people stricken including three fatalities.
Scientists have yet to determine if the disease can be transmitted from human to human, which would raise the risk of more people getting sick as they sit next to each other on long rides to their hometowns.
But going back to the countryside or other parts of the country to gather with family is an annual ritual that is impossible to miss - the country will come to a grinding halt from Friday (Jan 24) until Thursday next week as it celebrates the incoming Year of the Rat.
More than 100 million train trips have already been taken since the mass migration began about 10 days ago, the national railway operator said Sunday.
Lines formed on Monday at ticket booths outside Beijing Railway Station, where commuters - young and old - gathered with their luggage and souvenirs.
Li Yang, 28, an account manager from northern Inner Mongolia region, said it had been five to six years since she returned to her hometown from Beijing.
"It's hard to guard against such viruses," she told AFP.
"Watching the news, I do feel a little worried. But I haven't taken precautionary measures beyond wearing regular masks," she added. "Even if I remained in Beijing, I would have to visit public spaces."
A worker in the finance sector surnamed Guo added that she and her friends had been reminding each other to wear masks as a precaution.
"We're not sure how else we can protect ourselves, but I am generally vigilant," said the 26-year-old. "What else can we do? We still have to go home over the Spring Festival."
"AVOID PUBLIC PLACES"
The new coronavirus has caused alarm because of its connection to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which killed nearly 650 people across mainland China and Hong Kong in 2002-2003.
Authorities in Wuhan, a city of 11 million people that also serves as a major transport hub, said Monday a third person was confirmed to have died and 136 new cases were found over the weekend.
READ: Hundreds likely affected by China virus: Researchers
Hundreds of millions of Chinese people head to their hometowns for Chinese New Year but many travellers seemed unfazed by the mystery virus. (Photo: AFP/Hector Retamal)
A Wuhan seafood market is believed to be the epicentre of the virus, and the World Health Organization said an animal source seemed most likely to be the "primary" culprit.
In Hong Kong, 106 people were being monitored with authorities keeping a close eye on developments, especially given the proximity of Guangdong to the densely packed financial hub.
Passengers arriving at the city's airport and high speed train terminals have been subject to increased monitoring, including temperature checks.
READ: China to step up countermeasures as Wuhan virus outbreak grows
Health officials said Monday they were expanding their enhanced checks to include anyone coming in from Hubei province, not just Wuhan. All passengers flying in from Wuhan will also be asked to fill out a health declaration form.
At Shanghai's busy Hongqiao Railway Station, some in the crowd wore masks, but not significantly more than usually seen in the eastern city. No flu screening stations or signs were seen.
A 25-year-old woman surnamed Jiang, who works for a medical device company, was heading to her hometown in Hubei, the province where Wuhan is located.
What do we know about the mysterious virus causing pneumonia in China?
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Updated about 3 hours ago
First posted about 4 hours ago
It's still not clear whether the virus can be transmitted from human to human.
(AP: Mark Schiefelbein)
It started as a few cases of pneumonia in workers at a fish market in central China. Now a new virus has the world on alert.
Late last month, doctors began seeing a new type of viral pneumonia — fever, cough, difficulty breathing — in people who worked at or visited a seafood market in the suburbs of Wuhan in China.
Since then, more than 200 cases have been reported and three people have died.
Thailand last week reported two cases of Chinese visitors carrying a strain of the virus, and Japan reported its first case of the infection on Thursday after a Japanese man returned from visiting Wuhan.
So what do we know about the novel coronavirus, or 2019-nCoV, and how worried should we be?
What is a coronavirus?
A computer artwork of a coronavirus, named after the corona, or crown, of surface proteins (outer dots) that are used to penetrate a host cell.
(Science Photo Library: PASIEKA)
The virus behind the outbreak in China is being scrutinised by health authorities and researchers, but coronaviruses are nothing new.
They're a big group of viruses that cause illnesses such as the common cold and gastrointestinal infections, and more recent diseases including SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome).
They're named for the corona, or crown, of surface proteins that the virus uses to penetrate the cells of its host — in other words, the human who's been infected.
How does 2019-nCoV spread?
Health authorities are still working hard to figure out how the virus spreads.
At first, it was thought that those who caught it did so directly from the Wuhan seafood market, which the first cases were traced to.
No infections have been reported in health care workers, but the World Health Organisation says the fact that some cases don't seem to be linked with the market means it cannot rule out "limited human-to-human transmission" as a possibility.
People with the virus usually have a fever, sometimes with respiratory symptoms, Irani Thevarajan, an infectious disease physician at the University of Melbourne, told RN Breakfast.
"Cough, shortness of breath, rapid breathing, sore throat, runny nose. A bit like the presentation of the common cold but obviously more severe," Dr Thevarajan said.
She said that in the cases where people have died, it's been reported that those patients had other medical conditions that may have also played a role.
How similar is this outbreak to SARS and MERS?
Another coronavirus, SARS, started in southern China in late 2002 and spread to more than two dozen countries, killing nearly 800 people.
And MERS has killed more than 850 people since it was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012.
MERS has a high death rate, but this new coronavirus isn't necessarily as severe.
(Reuters: Chaiwat Subprasom/file photo)
SARS was a particularly contagious virus and spread easily between people, said Allen Cheng, an infectious disease and epidemiology expert at Monash University.
MERS was mainly passed from human to human in the healthcare setting.
While the 2019-nCoV has caused deaths, and early identified cases have been severe, people should not be overly alarmed, Professor Cheng said.
"One thing that's important to know is when we find new viruses, they do testing in cases where people are very sick. So it often looks at first like they're very severe."
Many of the people who have been diagnosed since the original cases have not been as severely sick, he said.
What are governments doing to control the spread?
The Australian Department of Health said in a statement it was aware of the outbreak and was watching developments closely, but there was no need for alarm in Australia.
Airlines are already required to report passengers who show signs of an infectious disease, including fever, sweats or chills, so sick travellers can be met by biosecurity officers when they arrive in Australia to be assessed.
Thermal scanners are sometimes used to identify travellers with fever, but they can be unreliable, Dr Cheng says.
(AP: Kim Ju-sun)
Some countries use thermal scanners to detect people with fevers, but they probably aren't a useful intervention at this stage because people who are sick may not have a raised temperature all the time, Dr Cheng said.
"So it will miss lots of people who do have [a disease that causes] fever," he said.
"And for people who do have fever, especially during the northern hemisphere influenza season, there's a good chance that it's not this novel coronavirus."
Australian state and territory chief health officers will meet this week to discuss developments with this virus.
In the US, passengers arriving from Wuhan in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York will be checked for symptoms of the infection, according to health news website STAT.
Chinese health authorities are closely monitoring the outbreak and have released the virus's genetic sequence, meaning it's now possible to test for it.
Do Australians need to take any precautions?
No cases of the novel coronavirus have been reported in Australia so far, and the World Health Organisation does not currently have any special travel advisory for China.
But Dr Cheng urged people travelling to and from China to be aware of the virus and to seek medical attention if they became unwell.
It's a particularly busy travel period as people take trips around Lunar New Year, which falls on January 25 this year.
"People sometimes don't volunteer that information because they think it's not relevant, but in this case it's really important."
Australians planning trips to China should keep an eye on the government's Smart Traveller website for up-to-date information on travel risks.
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Updated about 3 hours ago
First posted about 4 hours ago
It's still not clear whether the virus can be transmitted from human to human.
(AP: Mark Schiefelbein)
It started as a few cases of pneumonia in workers at a fish market in central China. Now a new virus has the world on alert.
Late last month, doctors began seeing a new type of viral pneumonia — fever, cough, difficulty breathing — in people who worked at or visited a seafood market in the suburbs of Wuhan in China.
Since then, more than 200 cases have been reported and three people have died.
Thailand last week reported two cases of Chinese visitors carrying a strain of the virus, and Japan reported its first case of the infection on Thursday after a Japanese man returned from visiting Wuhan.
So what do we know about the novel coronavirus, or 2019-nCoV, and how worried should we be?
What is a coronavirus?
A computer artwork of a coronavirus, named after the corona, or crown, of surface proteins (outer dots) that are used to penetrate a host cell.
(Science Photo Library: PASIEKA)
The virus behind the outbreak in China is being scrutinised by health authorities and researchers, but coronaviruses are nothing new.
They're a big group of viruses that cause illnesses such as the common cold and gastrointestinal infections, and more recent diseases including SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome).
They're named for the corona, or crown, of surface proteins that the virus uses to penetrate the cells of its host — in other words, the human who's been infected.
How does 2019-nCoV spread?
Health authorities are still working hard to figure out how the virus spreads.
At first, it was thought that those who caught it did so directly from the Wuhan seafood market, which the first cases were traced to.
No infections have been reported in health care workers, but the World Health Organisation says the fact that some cases don't seem to be linked with the market means it cannot rule out "limited human-to-human transmission" as a possibility.
People with the virus usually have a fever, sometimes with respiratory symptoms, Irani Thevarajan, an infectious disease physician at the University of Melbourne, told RN Breakfast.
"Cough, shortness of breath, rapid breathing, sore throat, runny nose. A bit like the presentation of the common cold but obviously more severe," Dr Thevarajan said.
She said that in the cases where people have died, it's been reported that those patients had other medical conditions that may have also played a role.
How similar is this outbreak to SARS and MERS?
Another coronavirus, SARS, started in southern China in late 2002 and spread to more than two dozen countries, killing nearly 800 people.
And MERS has killed more than 850 people since it was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012.
MERS has a high death rate, but this new coronavirus isn't necessarily as severe.
(Reuters: Chaiwat Subprasom/file photo)
SARS was a particularly contagious virus and spread easily between people, said Allen Cheng, an infectious disease and epidemiology expert at Monash University.
MERS was mainly passed from human to human in the healthcare setting.
While the 2019-nCoV has caused deaths, and early identified cases have been severe, people should not be overly alarmed, Professor Cheng said.
"One thing that's important to know is when we find new viruses, they do testing in cases where people are very sick. So it often looks at first like they're very severe."
Many of the people who have been diagnosed since the original cases have not been as severely sick, he said.
What are governments doing to control the spread?
The Australian Department of Health said in a statement it was aware of the outbreak and was watching developments closely, but there was no need for alarm in Australia.
Airlines are already required to report passengers who show signs of an infectious disease, including fever, sweats or chills, so sick travellers can be met by biosecurity officers when they arrive in Australia to be assessed.
Thermal scanners are sometimes used to identify travellers with fever, but they can be unreliable, Dr Cheng says.
(AP: Kim Ju-sun)
Some countries use thermal scanners to detect people with fevers, but they probably aren't a useful intervention at this stage because people who are sick may not have a raised temperature all the time, Dr Cheng said.
"So it will miss lots of people who do have [a disease that causes] fever," he said.
"And for people who do have fever, especially during the northern hemisphere influenza season, there's a good chance that it's not this novel coronavirus."
Australian state and territory chief health officers will meet this week to discuss developments with this virus.
In the US, passengers arriving from Wuhan in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York will be checked for symptoms of the infection, according to health news website STAT.
Chinese health authorities are closely monitoring the outbreak and have released the virus's genetic sequence, meaning it's now possible to test for it.
Do Australians need to take any precautions?
No cases of the novel coronavirus have been reported in Australia so far, and the World Health Organisation does not currently have any special travel advisory for China.
But Dr Cheng urged people travelling to and from China to be aware of the virus and to seek medical attention if they became unwell.
It's a particularly busy travel period as people take trips around Lunar New Year, which falls on January 25 this year.
"People sometimes don't volunteer that information because they think it's not relevant, but in this case it's really important."
Australians planning trips to China should keep an eye on the government's Smart Traveller website for up-to-date information on travel risks.
Want more ABC Health and Wellbeing?
Health in your inbox
Get the latest health news and information from across the ABC.
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Why not accompany her, make sure she safe?
hanor, it's not that he's afraid of contracting the virus, more of having to give ang-powsWhy not accompany her, make sure she safe?
Wuhan virus: All travellers arriving in Singapore from China to undergo temperature screening
Temperature screening being carried out at Changi Airport for travellers arriving from Wuhan on Jan 4, 2020. (Photo: Khaw Boon Wan/Facebook)
20 Jan 2020 07:42PM(Updated: 20 Jan 2020 09:13PM)
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SINGAPORE: Temperature screening at Changi Airport will be extended to all travellers arriving from China, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Monday (Jan 20), as news broke that a new virus originating from Wuhan has spread to other Chinese cities.
In addition, individuals with pneumonia who had travelled to Wuhan within 14 days before the onset of symptoms will be isolated in hospital.
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The stepped-up precautionary measures are in response to a rise in cases of the novel coronavirus pneumonia, and an anticipated spike in travel volume in the lead up to the Chinese New Year holidays, MOH said.
A third person was confirmed to have died and 136 new cases were found over the weekend in Wuhan where the virus originated. Cases have also been reported in other Chinese cities, including Beijing.
South Korea on Monday reported its first case - a 35-year-old woman who flew in from Wuhan. Thailand and Japan have previously confirmed a total of three cases.
Advertisement
READ: Wuhan pneumonia virus outbreak: What we know so far
READ: China confirms 139 new cases of pneumonia, virus spreads to Beijing and Shenzhen
The expanded measures come in addition to other precautionary measures put in place by MOH since the start of January, with temperature screening already implemented from the evening of Jan 3 for inbound travellers arriving on flights from Wuhan.
Suspect cases have been referred to hospitals for further assessment, and Health Advisory Posters have also been put up within Changi Airport to advise all travellers on the precautionary measures to take when travelling to or arriving from Wuhan.
SIX TESTED NEGATIVE
Since the start of the year, seven people in Singapore have been warded and tested after they were found to have pneumonia and had travelled to Wuhan.
Six of those cases tested negative for coronavirus and are not linked to the cluster in Wuhan, MOH said.
As of 10am on Monday, the ministry was notified of the latest case, which involves a 44-year-old Singapore resident with pneumonia and travel history to Wuhan.
“She has been admitted for further assessment and treatment, and isolated as a precautionary measure. Her condition is stable,” added MOH.
The woman had not visited the Huanan seafood wholesale market in Wuhan that is associated with the pneumonia cluster.
"To date, there have been no confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus reported in Singapore. However, given that Singapore is a travel hub, we expect to see more suspect cases, and cannot rule out the possibility of imported cases," said MOH.
"Once a case is confirmed, contact tracing will be initiated, and we will implement strict isolation, quarantine, and infection control and prevention measures to prevent further transmission."
READ: China to step up countermeasures as Wuhan virus outbreak grows
READ: Hundreds likely affected by China virus: Researchers
MOH has also issued a reminder on Jan 20 to hospitals and General Practitioners to be vigilant for cases with pneumonia who have recently travelled to Wuhan.
Members of the public are advised to be vigilant and to adopt good personal hygiene practices, and all travellers to Wuhan should monitor their health closely and seek medical attention promptly if they feel unwell, and also inform their doctor of their travel history.
Travellers and members of the public should adopt the following precautions at all times:
"The Ministry of Health, Singapore is concerned about the increase in cases of novel coronavirus pneumonia in Wuhan and exported cases to other Chinese cities and countries," wrote Mr Lam.
"We are closely monitoring the situation," he added.
Temperature screening being carried out at Changi Airport for travellers arriving from Wuhan on Jan 4, 2020. (Photo: Khaw Boon Wan/Facebook)
20 Jan 2020 07:42PM(Updated: 20 Jan 2020 09:13PM)
Share this content
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SINGAPORE: Temperature screening at Changi Airport will be extended to all travellers arriving from China, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Monday (Jan 20), as news broke that a new virus originating from Wuhan has spread to other Chinese cities.
In addition, individuals with pneumonia who had travelled to Wuhan within 14 days before the onset of symptoms will be isolated in hospital.
Advertisement
The stepped-up precautionary measures are in response to a rise in cases of the novel coronavirus pneumonia, and an anticipated spike in travel volume in the lead up to the Chinese New Year holidays, MOH said.
A third person was confirmed to have died and 136 new cases were found over the weekend in Wuhan where the virus originated. Cases have also been reported in other Chinese cities, including Beijing.
South Korea on Monday reported its first case - a 35-year-old woman who flew in from Wuhan. Thailand and Japan have previously confirmed a total of three cases.
Advertisement
READ: Wuhan pneumonia virus outbreak: What we know so far
READ: China confirms 139 new cases of pneumonia, virus spreads to Beijing and Shenzhen
The expanded measures come in addition to other precautionary measures put in place by MOH since the start of January, with temperature screening already implemented from the evening of Jan 3 for inbound travellers arriving on flights from Wuhan.
Suspect cases have been referred to hospitals for further assessment, and Health Advisory Posters have also been put up within Changi Airport to advise all travellers on the precautionary measures to take when travelling to or arriving from Wuhan.
SIX TESTED NEGATIVE
Since the start of the year, seven people in Singapore have been warded and tested after they were found to have pneumonia and had travelled to Wuhan.
Six of those cases tested negative for coronavirus and are not linked to the cluster in Wuhan, MOH said.
As of 10am on Monday, the ministry was notified of the latest case, which involves a 44-year-old Singapore resident with pneumonia and travel history to Wuhan.
“She has been admitted for further assessment and treatment, and isolated as a precautionary measure. Her condition is stable,” added MOH.
The woman had not visited the Huanan seafood wholesale market in Wuhan that is associated with the pneumonia cluster.
"To date, there have been no confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus reported in Singapore. However, given that Singapore is a travel hub, we expect to see more suspect cases, and cannot rule out the possibility of imported cases," said MOH.
"Once a case is confirmed, contact tracing will be initiated, and we will implement strict isolation, quarantine, and infection control and prevention measures to prevent further transmission."
READ: China to step up countermeasures as Wuhan virus outbreak grows
READ: Hundreds likely affected by China virus: Researchers
MOH has also issued a reminder on Jan 20 to hospitals and General Practitioners to be vigilant for cases with pneumonia who have recently travelled to Wuhan.
Members of the public are advised to be vigilant and to adopt good personal hygiene practices, and all travellers to Wuhan should monitor their health closely and seek medical attention promptly if they feel unwell, and also inform their doctor of their travel history.
Travellers and members of the public should adopt the following precautions at all times:
- Avoid contact with live animals including poultry and birds, and consumption of raw and undercooked meats
- Avoid close contact with people who are unwell or showing symptoms of illness
- Observe good personal hygiene
- Practise frequent hand washing with soap (e.g. before handling food or eating, after going to toilet, or when hands are dirtied by respiratory secretions after coughing or sneezing)
- Wear a mask if you have respiratory symptoms such as a cough or runny nose
- Cover your mouth with a tissue paper when coughing or sneezing, and dispose the soiled tissue paper in the rubbish bin immediately; and
- Seek medical attention promptly if you are feeling unwell.
"The Ministry of Health, Singapore is concerned about the increase in cases of novel coronavirus pneumonia in Wuhan and exported cases to other Chinese cities and countries," wrote Mr Lam.
"We are closely monitoring the situation," he added.
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