The new respiratory virus from China continues to spread. Chinese authorities announced on Tuesday that a total of six people died on its territory on Tuesday. The announcement was made by the mayor of Wuhan, the place of death of the last victims.
A previous assessment reported four deaths. The fourth victim was an 89-year-old man, who died on Sunday after having difficulty breathing. He also lived in Wuhan, the city in the center of the country where the epidemic started, which infected nearly 300 people. Some researchers, based on statistical extrapolations, estimate that this number is underestimated and already mention almost 2000 cases. China reported 77 new cases on Tuesday morning for an official total of 291 people affected. 922 people are under observation.
The offending strain, which has the provisional name of 2019-nCOV, is a new type of coronavirus, a family with a large number of viruses. Coronaviruses can cause mild illnesses in humans such as a cold, but also other more serious illnesses such as sras.
The latter killed 774 people in 2003, the overwhelming majority in China and Hong Kong. In the 2019-nCOV case, Zhong Nanshan, a renowned Chinese scientist with the National Health Commission, said on Monday that contagious transmission between people is "proven." The infographic below explains the classic transmission process for a coronavirus.
2019-nCOV has started to spread beyond its area of origin. More than a month after its appearance on a market in Wuhan, the virus now affects several major cities in the country, including Beijing and Shanghai, and three other countries in Asia: Japan, South Korea and Thailand.
It raises growing concerns in the middle of a crossover in transport before the Chinese New Year which takes place on Saturday. This period, which traditionally sees crowded stations and airports, is an additional risk factor for the spread of the virus.
Man placed in solitary confinement in Australia, France triggers vigilance
In addition, a man returning from China with symptoms of a mysterious virus has been placed in solitary confinement at his home in Australia. He was coming back from Wuhan. This patient is recovering from a respiratory illness at his home in Brisbane, a city in the North East. Health authorities are awaiting the results of tests to determine whether or not he has contracted this new virus.
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In the Philippines, a 5-year-old child is also suspected of having the virus. He returned from Wuhan on January 12. He was hospitalized with symptoms similar to those of the flu. The Philippine Minister of Health said that samples have been sent to Australia for analysis.
The WHO (World Health Organization) announced the holding of an emergency meeting Wednesday to determine whether to declare a "public health emergency of international concern". It is a qualification which is used only for the most serious epidemics. Several countries have already taken action at airports. In France, Santé publique France, in charge of health monitoring, has officially launched vigilance.
VIDEO. Mysterious market virus worries China