China has extended the isolation measures already applied in Wuhan to two cities on Thursday, a megalopolis considered the epicenter of an outbreak of a mysterious type of coronavirus , whose rapid spread is generating international concern and has already caused the death of 17 people in the country. One of the cases of contagion was detected in the United States.
After ordering the blockade of public transport and banning the departure of airplanes and trains in Wuhan, a city in central China that hosts 11 million people, now the authorities have established similar measures for two nearby cities, Huanggang and Ezhou. Likewise, access to public places such as theaters or internet cafés will also be prohibited.
The restrictions are going to be implemented in the two cities as of this Friday, according to The Associated Press . With the quarantine of these cities, now up to 18 million people are affected by the restrictions.
The intention of the authorities is to try to stop the spread of the virus, an unprecedented effort that will spoil the plans of millions of people just in a time of travel in the Asian country due to the impending traditional holiday of the Chinese New Year.
"To my knowledge, trying to contain a city of 11 million people is something new for science," said Gauden Galea, representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) in China. Security forces guarded the train station on Thursday to prevent passengers from accessing it from 10 am local time.
But the virus does not worry only in China, where since last December more than 550 cases of people infected by this strain of coronavirus have never been seen before and that shows fever, cough or respiratory distress as the first symptoms.
Some cases have already appeared outside its borders , including that of a man in his 30s residing in the state of Washington and who was diagnosed with infection when he returned to the United States from there, as well as in surrounding countries.
The US authorities are scanning all the people coming from there to identify possible new cases and try to avoid contagion. And while Mexico, among others, is investigating a case of possible coronavirus infection, the WHO evaluates this Thursday if it declares a global health emergency .
https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1220304553528233985
The first cases in the Wuhan outbreak were related to people who worked or visited a seafood market, which has since been closed for investigation.
Experts suspect that the virus was first transmitted from wild animals, but the virus could be mutating. Mutations can make it more deadly or more contagious .
The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) have made suggestions to avoid contagion. Martin Cetron, director of the global migration and quarantine division of the CDC, said, however, that "it is not a time for people to be alarmed and extremely worried," but rather " vigilant and conscientious ."
With information from AP and NBC News.
Find here tips to avoid being infected, especially if you have to travel
