A Mysterious Virus in Central China Has Infected Dozens, Raising Fears of a New Epidemic. Here ’s What to Know

An unidentified form of pneumonia has broken out in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, prompting authorities to quarantine those infected and raise hospital alerts. Wuhan’s health bureau announced Sunday that close to 60 patients have been diagnosed with the virus, and neighboring Hong Kong has announced suspected cases. (A suspected case in Singapore turned out to be a false alarm.) The mysterious strain has been linked to a seafood market which has been closed for sanitation since Jan. 1. Medical experts are attempting to identify the illness. While they say it is unlikely that this new strain of pneumonia could cause a repeat of 2003’s deadly SARS outbreak in 2003, which killed hundreds in mainland China and spread as far as the U.S. and Canada, they stress that vigilance should not be relaxed. Here’s what to know about the virus. How serious is the pneumonia outbreak? According to Wuhan’s health bureau, 59 patients have been diagnosed with the virus, including seven in critical condition as of Sunday. Some of the patients operated stalls at the seafood market. All of the patients are in quarantine, and 163 people who had been in close contact with them have been placed under medical observation. The World Health Organization says symptoms include fever and difficulty breathing. How fast is it spreading? The first case was discovered in Wuhan on Dec. 12, the city’s health bureau says. On Sunday, authorities in Hong Kong reported that nine mor...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized China onetime overnight Source Type: news