China builds a hospital against the clock to deal with the outbreak of a deadly respiratory disease caused by a type of coronavirus hitherto unknown.
The infection has already caused the death of at least 25 people in the country and generated concern in different nations, including the United States, where so far a positive case has been confirmed, and Mexico. In both, some other cases of possible contagion are investigated and precautionary measures have been shaken to prevent their spread.
On the eve of the traditional Chinese holiday of the Lunar New Year, the authorities of the Asian country closed transport services in at least 10 cities to try to stop the spread of the virus, possible between person and person. The measure has affected about 33 million people.
At least 830 people were infected by this virus, which manifests in principle with symptoms such as fever, cough or respiratory distress, but it can get worse. The vast majority of cases were detected in the Wuhan area, a city of 11 million inhabitants located in the center of the country and considered the epicenter of the outbreak.
The authorities plan to build the new hospital there to face the rapid spread of the virus. This is a prefabricated structure on a 270,000 square foot lot, whose completion is scheduled for February 3, they announced. The intention is to repeat the experience of 2003, when a sanitary installation was built in just six days in Beijing to face a similar outbreak.
Several countries have identified in less than a month people who have suffered the infection of the coronavirus, whose outbreak allegedly started in a seafood and animal market in Wuhan. In the United States a case has been confirmed so far, that of a 30-year-old man residing in the state of Washington diagnosed upon returning from China.
In addition, health authorities investigate other cases of possible infection not yet confirmed. One is in Texas and another in Tennessee, according to information collected by NBC News. Some people, but less than ten, would be under test in Alameda County, California, according to KNTV, an NBC affiliate.
Also in Mexico tests are carried out to detect possible infections. Five people with compatible symptoms are waiting for the results, as reported on Thursday night by the Mexican Ministry of Health. Three of them are studied in Jalisco, one in Michoacán and another in Mexico City. On the other hand, contagion has been ruled out in the case of two more people.
Likewise, several cases have been reported in countries around China, such as Japan, Thailand, South Korea and Singapore.
The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control states that it is still unclear how easily the new type of coronavirus initially detected in China is being propagated, and that research to find out more about it is under development. They say it is a serious public health problem, but until the moment of low risk for the American general public, although there is a possibility that new cases will be detected in the next few days.
At the moment, the US authorities are doing health checks on all the people who fly from Wuhan to the airports of Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta and San Francisco. They have also recommended that all unnecessary travel to that destination in China be avoided.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has ruled this Thursday to declare the international emergency for the new coronavirus by being "too soon."
Read the suggestions of the CDC to avoid contagion.