As the outbreak of 2019 novel coronavirus that can be transmitted from human to human in China's Wuhan increases, the World Health Organization called an emergency meeting on January 22 and is discussing ways to control the virus, according to the Public Health Department.
Matters discussed include whether or not a public health emergency of international concern should be announced and ways to control the virus.
According to the WHO statement released on January 21, there were 278 confirmed cases in China till January 20—258 in Hubei Province, 14 in Guangdong Province, five in Beijing municipality and one in Shanghai municipality. Of them, 51 patients are in critical condition and 12 in life-threatening condition.
Till January 22, there are also such cases outside China—two in Thailand and one each in Japan, South Korea and the United States. Till January 22, lab tests confirmed six deaths in Wuhan. Those who died were in old age or suffering from chronic disease.
"According to laboratory examination, it is learnt that 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) spreading in Wuhan are like viruses of MERS and SARS. WHO has currently announced the virus is limited human to human transmission," said an official from the Central Infectious Disease Control Department.
China's neighbouring countries such as Hong Kong, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Russia and Vietnam taking fever screening measures at their airports and ports. The European Union countries that operate direct flights with Wuhan Airport are also conducting medical checkups.
Coronavirus is of many different species. Depending on the virus type, symptoms are caused such as normal cold, fever, cough and respiratory problems such as difficulty breathing. Pneumonia, MERS, SARS, kidney damage and deaths are caused in serious cases. The virus is mainly transmitted among animals. Human to human transmission is rare. But some virus types can transmitted from humans from humans through close contact.
A new type of coronavirus is called novel coronavirus, according to the Public Health Department.
