Beijing, Jan 21: The Chinese official investigating a pneumonia outbreak stemming from a new coronavirus said the disease can spread from person to person but can be halted with increased vigilance, as authorities on Tuesday confirmed a fourth death.
Zhong Nanshan said there was no danger of a repeat of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic that killed nearly 800 people globally during a 2002-2003 outbreak, which started in China, as long as precautions were taken.
"It took only two weeks to identify the novel coronavirus," state news agency Xinhua quoted Zhong as saying late on Monday.
The outbreak was still in its early stages and China had good surveillance and quarantine systems to help control it, he added.
The outbreak has spread from the central city of Wuhan to cities including Beijing and Shanghai, with more than 200 cases reported so far. Four cases have been reported outside China - in South Korea, Thailand and Japan.
Australia on Tuesday said it would screen passengers on flights from Wuhan amid rising concerns that the virus will spread globally as Chinese travellers take flights abroad for the Lunar New Year holiday starting this week.
Authorities around the globe, including in the United States and many Asian countries, have stepped up screening of travellers from Wuhan.
Chinese authorities confirmed a total of 217 cases of the virus in China as of 6 p.m. (1000 GMT) on Monday, state television reported, 198 of which were in Wuhan.
A fourth person died on Jan. 19, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission said. The 89-year-old man, who had underlying health diseases including coronary heart disease, developed symptoms on Jan. 13 and was admitted to hospital five days later, it added.
Zhong, who is renowned in China for his work fighting SARS in 2003, confirmed that the virus can pass from person-to-person.
Fifteen medical workers in Wuhan had been diagnosed with pneumonia, with one other suspected case, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission said. Of the infected staff, one was in critical condition.
In Shanghai, officials on Tuesday confirmed a second case involving a 35-year-man who had visited Wuhan in early January, and said they were monitoring four other suspected cases.
The virus causes a type of pneumonia and belongs to the same family of coronaviruses as SARS. Symptoms include fever and difficulty in breathing, which are similar to many other respiratory diseases and pose complications for screening efforts.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Monday an animal source appeared most likely to be the primary origin of the outbreak and that some "limited human-to-human transmission" occurred between close contacts.
The Geneva-based U.N. agency convened an emergency committee for Wednesday to assess whether the outbreak constitutes an international health emergency and what measures should be taken to manage it.
So far, the WHO has not recommended trade or travel restrictions, but a panel of independent experts could do so or make other recommendations to limit spread.
Comments
Ananth Kumar uncultured, absolutely unfit as a politician.
This man is the worst crazy type of person as peoples rep.
You can imagine if a MP is behaving like this, what could be the credentials of his party and those who elected him.
He is so stupid, he does not have brain to think, that
To follow any religion, is required who is his father or mother.
Our constitution fully empowers every citizen to follow the religion of their choice, propagate it
also.
No religion refuses anyone from following their choice of religion.
Is Rajeev Gandhi Muslim.
This so called MP does not know also, Rajeev Gandhi’s father Firoz Gandhi was a Farsi man.
I hope Rajeev Gandhi is Muslim, but we know he is not.
Becoming Muslim is it sin. Muslim means person who submits to the will of his creator the God.
I can prove that Hege’s ancestor Father was Muslim. Our first father Adam was Muslim, biologically all were Muslims. Again Muslim means person who obeys or submits to his creator.
But later as they grow, they inherited their parents or chose to remain their parents religion.
Is it sin. This is what requ
This man is the worst crazy type of person as peoples rep.
You can imagine if a MP is behaving like this, what could be the credentials of his party and those who elected him.
He is so stupid, he does not have brain to think, that
To follow any religion, is required who is his father or mother.
Our constitution fully empowers every citizen to follow the religion of their choice, propagate it
also.
No religion refuses anyone from following their choice of religion.
Is Rajeev Gandhi Muslim.
This so called MP does not know also, Rajeev Gandhi’s father Firoz Gandhi was a Farsi man.
I hope Rajeev Gandhi is Muslim, but we know he is not.
Becoming Muslim is it sin. Muslim means person who submits to the will of his creator the God.
I can prove that Hege’s ancestor Father was Muslim. Our first father Adam was Muslim, biologically all were Muslims. Again Muslim means person who obeys or submits to his creator.
But later as they grow, they inherited their parents or chose to remain their parents religion.
Is it sin. This is what required a person to be loyal to his creator and obey his creator.
May God give wisdom to this man and save his followers.
ired a person to be loyal to his creator and obey his creator.
May God give wisdom to this man and save his followers.
This person is mentally sick and does not know about parents of Rahul Gandhi. He thinks everyone like him who has no trace of his own parents. This Gowda has no trace from where he came. He should be kicked out to andaman to live with monkeys, apes etc.
this man have more more hatrate to mulsim community..
after 2019 they will make you to count your sin did in past..
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