With the confirmation that a new coronavirus in China has been transmitted between humans, here’s a quick look at what you need to know. Medical staff at the Jinyintan hospital, where the patients with pneumonia caused by the new strain of coronavirus are being treated, in Wuhan, China. (Stringer/Reuters)The World Health Organization (WHO) is holding an emergency meeting Wednesday to discuss whether the new coronavirus identified in China constitutes an international health emergency. On Monday, China confirmed there has been human-to-human transmission of the virus. Zhong Nanshan, a respiratory expert, said two people in Guangdong province in southern China caught the disease from family members.Some medical staff have also been infected, but no number was confirmed. The official Chinese Xinhua news agency reported that, as of Jan. 20, a total of 224 cases of the new coronavirus infection were reported in China, including 217 confirmed cases. Three people have died. There have also been cases reported in Japan, South Korea and Thailand, all connected to people who had travelled from China. What is coronavirus? Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses. They cause a range of illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases — such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). SARS was the coronavirus that originated in China in late 2002, and which eventually killed 44 people in Canada and infected more than 400 before the outbreak in China was declared by the WHO to be “under control” on Apr. 28, 2004. Where did this new coronoavirus come from? The WHO’s China office was first informed of cases of pneumonia with an unknown cause on Dec.31, 2019. The cases were all detected in Wuhan City. A new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) was identified as the probable cause by Chinese authorities Jan. 7. The WHO reported the evidence was “highly suggestive” that the source was a seafood market that also sells live poultry and meat from exotic animals in Wuhan. How is it transmitted? Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they pass from animals to humans. But some, like this newly identified strain, can pass directly between humans. According to the Centers for Disease Control in the U.S., coronaviruses are most commonly spread by coughing or sneezing; close personal contact, such as shaking hands; or touching an object or surface with the virus on it and then touching your mouth, eyes or nose. Travelers wear face masks as they walk outside of the Beijing Railway Station. China reported a sharp rise in the number of people infected with a new coronavirus, including the first cases in the capital. (Mark Schiefelbein/The Associated Press) What are the symptoms? The initial symptoms of 2019-nCoV are mainly fever, with a few reports of people having difficulty breathing, and chest x-rays showing signs of pneumonia in both lungs. According to the WHO, signs of infection can include respiratory complaints, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death. The only way to confirm 2019-nCoV is with a lab test. Should Canadians be worried? The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) deems the risk to Canadians visiting Wuhan as low. But it has updated its travel advisory, urging Canadians to take precautions, such as avoiding large crowds and high-risk areas such as farms and slaughterhouses, and avoiding contact with anyone who is exhibiting symptoms of a coronavirus, such as fever, cough or difficulty breathing. There have been no confirmed cases of the 2019-nCoV in Canada, according to Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Theresa Tam. She says three people in Canada who had travelled to Wuhan were investigated for the virus, but results were negative. PHAC says it will introduce measures in the coming week, including signs at airports in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, advising travellers from affected areas of the world to inform border services staff of any flu-like symptoms. The United States has begun screening people coming on direct flights from Wuhan for the newly identified coronavirus at New York City’s JFK International Airport, San Francisco International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport. Notable quotes This outbreak is extremely concerning. Uncertainty and gaps remain, but it is now clear that there is person-to-person transmission. – Dr. Jeremy Farrar, infectious disease specialist. We don’t know enough to know whether we should be worried … If this is a virus that can sustain itself in humans now — is transmitted from person to person and lives in humans — then the Lunar New Year travel will spread it faster in China, no doubt. If this is a virus that is not sustainable in human populations, if it doesn’t transmit well enough, then the Lunar New Year means we’ll see new cases, it will create a lot of concern, but it won’t cause problems. – Dr. Allison McGeer, infectious disease specialist, Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto The one piece of good news we have here is that this is possibly not as virulent a virus as SARS and won’t result in as many deaths, but almost all the other news we have at the moment is unfortunately bad news … Fourteen medical staff infected from the first 200 cases is quite a high number. But on the other hand, the medical staff are in very close contact with the patients there, they’re in the hospital wards and so on. And therefore, they’re they’re at greater risk than the general public. – Dr. Derek Gatherer, Lancaster University WATCH: Dr. Allison McGeer of Toronto’s Mount Sinai Hospital speaks to CBC News about the new coronavirus outbreak. Infectious disease specialist Dr. Allison McGeer explains why it is critical now to figure out if there is enough human-to-human transmission of a new coronavirus to sustain the current outbreak. 5:40
Just the basics: The new coronavirus outbreak | CBC News
