China pneumonia illness outbreak may be from new coronavirus

China has reported that the pneumonia illness that has spread among its people could be caused by a new coronavirus.

Xu Jianguo, a lead scientist, confirmed that experts have been conducting some research to further understand the new coronavirus.

Coughing or sneezing are symptoms of coronaviruses.

Some cause the common cold and others can lead to more severe respiratory diseases, such as Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).

The new illness has raised fears of a SARS recurrence, which hit southern China in 2002-2003, killing more than 700 people in mainland China and Hong Kong.

“A total of 15 positive results of the new type of coronavirus had been detected” in the lab, through tests on infected blood samples and throat swabs, Xu said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed the preliminary discovery of a new coronavirus in a statement.

“Further investigations are also required to determine the source, modes of transmission, extent of infection and countermeasures implemented,” said Gauden Galea, the WHO representative to China.

According to the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission, the outbreak has left 59 people in the central Chinese city being treated for the respiratory illness.

Seven were in critical condition, while the rest were stable.

The commission said the infection broke out between December 12 and 29, with some of the patients employed at a city seafood market since closed for disinfection.

No obvious evidence of human-to-human transmission had been reported so far.

The outbreak comes just a few weeks before China’s busiest annual travel period, when millions of people take buses, trains and planes for Lunar New Year.

(Compiled by Molefe Seeletsa)

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