BY JAMES PALMER
A previously unknown virus, first reported in the Chinese city of Wuhan on Dec. 31, is seriously worrying global health experts. The World Health Organization announced Monday that it was convening an emergency meeting on the virus, which is a coronavirus, a species common in animals that occasionally leaps to humans. In China, past cases of viruses passing from animals to humans have been relatively common thanks to close contact with domestic animals like chickens, as well as the consumption of wild animals such as civet cats, and sometimes because population and resource pressures have pushed people deeper into previously untouched forests and jungles in the south.
The most notable of these in recent years was SARS, a coronavirus first reported in 2003 that eventually killed over 800 people and infected around 8,000; the government was widely blamed for covering up the spread of SARS—short for “severe acute respiratory syndrome”—until Jiang Yanyong, a retired surgeon, raised the alarm (and was briefly imprisoned as a result before eventually being hailed as a hero).
Is this a deadly disease? How fast is it spreading?
It’s hard to tell, because the information being released by the Chinese government is questionable. Wuhan itself is a city of 11 million people, and within China, the virus is confirmed to have reached major metropolises such as Beijing and Shanghai, while it’s also traveled as far south as Shenzhen, which borders Hong Kong. Outside of China, Japan, Thailand, and South Korea have all recorded cases—all Chinese travelers. While it was initially claimed to be only the result of animal-to-human transmission, doctors have just confirmed human-to-human transmission; 14 healthcare workers have also been reported as infected.It’s hard to tell, because the information being released by the Chinese government is questionable. Wuhan itself is a city of 11 million people, and within China, the virus is confirmed to have reached major metropolises such as Beijing and Shanghai, while it’s also traveled as far south as Shenzhen, which borders Hong Kong. Outside of China, Japan, Thailand, and South Korea have all recorded cases—all Chinese travelers. While it was initially claimed to be only the result of animal-to-human transmission, doctors have just confirmed human-to-human transmission; 14 healthcare workers have also been reported as infected.
The virus causes pneumonia, resulting in difficulty breathing. Only three people have been reported dead so far, but several dozen are in serious or critical condition. The majority of victims, though, had only mild symptoms, and some have already been discharged.
It’s always an open question how bad a new virus could get. Modern disease control methods have improved dramatically since the 1918-19 influenza outbreak killed more people than World War I—and the global population is healthier and more resistant. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the odds of the virus reaching the country are low. Right now, the main worries are in China itself—especially the government’s handling of the cases.
There are numerous unconfirmed posts and stories online claiming Wuhan hospitals are overflowing with victims or showing staff in full protective gear. Those may just be rumors, but the government numbers are definitely suspicious, especially the sudden jump over the weekend. For days authorities kept the figure of infected people at 41; then, it suddenly jumped up this weekend, eventually reaching 218. Foreign doctors estimate the number may be as high as 1,700 cases, using models of other outbreaks. Admitting the existence of more cases seems to have been prompted, in part, by public skepticism that the disease could have reached Thailand and Japan but inside China somehow have been confined to just Wuhan.
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China Medics Reportedly Scanning Plane Passengers for 'Wuhan' Virus
Video footage shared on Sunday night of plane passengers reportedly being tested for the deadly “Wuhan” virus is amplifying fear of a global pandemic.
Sixth Tone – “a media start-up under party oversight” according to Foreign Policy – Head of News David Paulk tweeted a video reportedly of passengers on a domestic flight out of Wuhan being scanned by medics in antiviral gear late Sunday night. The footage, already shared over 1,000 times, continues to fuel a rapid increase in concern over the greater threat that the city’s eponymous new virus will escape its already limited containment.
passengers screened for coronavirus symptoms on a domestic flight out of Wuhan pic.twitter.com/ytUbVzpYRZ— David Paulk 波大卫 (@davidpaulk) January 20, 2020
The video remains unverified by U.S. sources, though similar footage was reportedly captured by another user on Chinese social media. The source claimed the scans were being done after the domestic flight from Wuhan landed at its destination after complaints that one of the passengers was suffering from a fever.
The state-funded “Beijing News” recently released similar footage of scans being done on passengers before takeoff on another flight departing Wuhan, submitted by an individual identified only as “Ms. Cheng.”
The footage was taken on a January 12 trip from Wuhan to Macau, where passengers were checked after landing before being allowed to leave the aircraft. China is insisting there is “no need to panic” as they attempt to respond to the illness.
Despite efforts at containment, the SARS-like “coronavirus” has already been confirmed in cases across Beijing, Shenzhen, and Shanghai. Worryingly, it has also escaped China: sighting have been reported in Thailand, Japan, and South Korea.
In response, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will begin screening all passengers from China. “Investigations into this novel coronavirus are ongoing and we are monitoring and responding to this evolving situation,” CDC Director Dr. Martin Cetron said in a press release.
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