As you may all know now, there is a new respiratory virus that emerged in China. This virus of the Coronavirus family, named nCoV has infected officialy 440 people and led to 9 death so far.
Issue is that it is getting both international with cases, aside China, in Thailand, South Korea, Hong Kong, Australia and the last case in Seattle USA.
This little bug is less agressive than the former SARS (2003) and the still circulating MERS in the Middle East.
Until two days ago, the medical authorities were not very worried as human to human transmission was considered barely possible.
Well, now, they are sweating a bit (i attended a meeting on another subject and in the discussions, while the infectiologists were confident few days ago, the feeling has made a full U turn) because human to human transmission is proven.
Plus the more human cases you have, the more likely is that the virus mutates to make it easier to pass from people to people.
Given that cases were detected in large population areas (point zero being Wuhan a 14 million inhabitant city and with case in Sydney, Seattle, Bangkok airport, HK, Sanghai and Beijing) it smells a bit bad.
Fortunately mortality is pretty restriced (lower than 2%) but it hits mostly adults (one unconfirmed children case in Philippines).
I will keep the forum informed but so far, it doesn't look very good. It may as well be nothing but better safe than sorry.
A man in Washington State is infected with a new respiratory virus. Federal officials plan to expand screenings for the infection at major airports.
www.nytimes.com
This comes as China confirms that a new strain of coronavirus can pass from person to person.
www.bbc.com
en.wikipedia.org