China reported 17 new cases of the mysterious SARS-like virus on Sunday, including three in a severe condition.
The new coronavirus strain has caused alarm because of its connection to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, which killed nearly 650 people across mainland China and Hong Kong in 2002-2003.
Of the 17 new cases in the central city of Wuhan — believed to be the epicentre of the outbreak — three were described as “severe”, of which two patients were too critical to be moved, authorities said.
Those infected ranges from 30 to 79 years old.
The virus has now infected 62 people in Wuhan, city authorities said, with eight in a severe condition, 19 cured and discharged from hospital, and the rest remaining in isolation receiving treatment.
Two people have died so far from the virus, including a 69-year-old man who died on Wednesday after the disease caused pulmonary tuberculosis and damaged multiple organ functions.
Authorities said they had begun “optimised” testing of pneumonia cases across the city to identify those infected, and would begin “detection work… towards suspected cases in the city” as a next step, as well as carrying out “sampling tests”.
Scientists with the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis at Imperial College in London warned in a paper published on Friday that the number of cases in the city was likely to be closer to 1,700, much higher than the number officially identified.
Authorities said Sunday that some of the cases had “no history of contact” with the seafood market believed to be the centre of the outbreak.
No human-to-human transmission has been confirmed so far, but Wuhan’s health commission has previously said the possibility “cannot be excluded”.
Three cases have also been reported overseas — two in Thailand and one in Japan.
In other news – MaMkhize warns of fake Twitter account doing rounds & claiming to be giving away R50K
While Janu-Worry is rearing its ugly head and has most peeps anticipating their month-end salaries and counting their last cents for Seshebo, there’s a fake Twitter account doing the rounds and claiming to be giving away a whopping 50K!
The fake account created using astute and flamboyant Businesswoman Shauwn Mkhize‘s name had Mzansi abuzz as most peeps are breathing through the wound following December’s expenses due to splurging their money. continue reading
Source: AFP
