Health

Killer coronavirus that’s infected hundreds spreads to Beijing


A DEADLY new virus that is tearing through China has spread to more cities, Chinese authorities have confirmed.

Coronavirus, which causes fever and difficulty breathing, has now hit the capital of Beijing.

 Officials have revealed the deadly bug has spread to more cities in China

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Officials have revealed the deadly bug has spread to more cities in China

And officials today revealed that the bug has now infected over 200 people across the country and killed three people.

The infection first appeared in Wuhan in December and the sharp rise in cases since then comes as millions of people prepare to travel to China for the Lunar New Year holidays.

The Wuhan Municipal Health Commission confirmed 136 new cases of pneumonia caused by the coronavirus strain had been found in the city over the weekend, adding to 62 already known cases.

Two men aged 61 and 69 have died in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

 Medical staff members carry a patient into the Jinyintan hospital, where patients infected by the virus are being treated

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Medical staff members carry a patient into the Jinyintan hospital, where patients infected by the virus are being treatedCredit: AFP or licensors
 The true scale of the outbreak of a mysterious SARS-like virus in China is likely far bigger than officially reported, scientists have warned

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The true scale of the outbreak of a mysterious SARS-like virus in China is likely far bigger than officially reported, scientists have warnedCredit: AFP or licensors

A third death occurred on Saturday, health officials revealed in a statement.

This brings the total number of known cases worldwide to more than 200 – with medics growing increasingly concerned with containing the bug.

As of late Sunday, officials said 170 people in Wuhan were still being treated in hospital, including nine in critical condition.

A report by London Imperial College’s MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis suggested that by January 12 there were 1,723 cases in Wuhan City with onset of related symptoms.

Chinese health authorities have not commented directly on the report.

What is coronavirus?

Coronavirus is an airborne virus, spread in a similar way to colds and the flu.

The virus attacks the respiratory system, causing lung lesions.

Symptoms include a runny nose, headache, cough and fever, shortness of breath, chills and body aches.

It is incredibly contagious and is spread through contact with anything the virus is on as well as infected breath, coughs or sneezes.

Symptoms include a runny nose, headache, cough and fever, shortness of breath, chills and body aches.

In most cases, you won’t know whether you have a coronavirus or a different cold-causing virus, such as rhinovirus.

But if a coronavirus infection spreads to the lower respiratory tract (your windpipe and your lungs), it can cause pneumonia, especially in older people, people with heart disease or people with weakened immune systems.

There is no vaccine for coronavirus.

In 2003 an outbreak of a similar virus, SARS, infected more than 8,000 people in 37 countries before it was brought under control, killing 800 of those worldwide.

Authorities around the world, including in the US and many Asian countries, have since increased screening of travellers from Wuhan.

It comes as four cases have been confirmed abroad – all of them involving people from Wuhan or who had visited the city.

On Monday, South Korea reported its first confirmed case of the coronavirus, a 35-year-old female Chinese national who had travelled from Wuhan.

And last week, two cases were reported in Thailand and one in Japan.

 China is on high alert as crowds gather to celebrate Chinese New Year, file image

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China is on high alert as crowds gather to celebrate Chinese New Year, file imageCredit: AP:Associated Press

A Brit tourist, Ash Shorley, 32, is also feared to be the first western victim of the illness.

He was rushed to hospital after the bug infected both lungs while he was on Koh Phi Phi island in Thailand.

The virus belongs to the same family of coronaviruses as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which killed nearly 774 people globally in the early 2000s outbreak that also started in China.

Its symptoms include fever and difficulty in breathing, which are similar to many other respiratory diseases and pose complications for screening efforts.

 A UK tourist fighting for his life in Thailand is feared to be the first western victim of the Chinese flu-like coronavirus

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A UK tourist fighting for his life in Thailand is feared to be the first western victim of the Chinese flu-like coronavirus
 Ash Shorley, 32, was rushed to hospital in Phuket after a pneumonia-style bug infected both lungs while he was on Koh Phi Phi island

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Ash Shorley, 32, was rushed to hospital in Phuket after a pneumonia-style bug infected both lungs while he was on Koh Phi Phi island

China’s National Health Commission said on Sunday it will step up prevention efforts, but acknowledged it still doesn’t know the source of the virus.

“As more… cases are identified and more analysis undertaken, we will get a clearer picture of disease severity and transmission patterns,” it wrote on Twitter.

It noted that the rise in cases in China was a result of “increased searching and testing for the virus among people sick with respiratory illness”.

China identifies mystery lung virus – which has so far caused one death – as coronavirus strain for Wuhan outbreak





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