Coronavirus Cases Confirmed in 4 Countries Outside China

Coronavirus Outbreak: 1st Possible Case in Australia

An Australian man has been tested for possible coronavirus.

An Australian man has been tested for possible coronavirus that has gripped China and cases have been reported in Japan and Thailand.

The man has been quarantined at his home in Brisbane, while tests are awaited, reports The Guardian.

The man had recently returned from Wuhan province of China, the epi-center of the outbreak of this new strain of pneumonia.

Meanwhile, China’s health ministry has confirmed human-to-human transmission of the virus that has spread across the country and lead to fears of possibly spreading further as people start to travel for lunar new year celebrations.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation will convene an emergency meeting to address the situation under the International Health Regulations.

Human-to-Human Transmission

2 cases in China's Guangdong province have been caused by human-to-human transmission with medical staff also affected, confirmed China's official Xinhua news agency said on Monday.

The first confirmed case of coronavirus was reported in December, with WHO reporting on December 31, 2019.

The virus was initially reported in Wuhan district and most cases came from a fish and meat market, leading to suspicion the disease was transmitted via animals.

The confirmed cases of coronavirus now exceed 200. The three cases reported outside Wuhan had all visited the city recently.

So far,

• Three have died from the "pneuomonia-like" respiratory illness.

• Three cases abroad have been reported so far, with two cases in Thailand and one in Japan, the latest possibly in Australia.

• This being the travel season in Asia owing to the Lunar New Year, busy airports across the world, including in US, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea and Malaysia are strengthening their screening measures.

What is Coronavirus

The WHO describes 'coronavirus' as a family of viruses that can cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to severe respiratory illnesses in people.

It takes five to six days for people to start feeling unwell after being infected, while taking another four to five days for the infection to be detected.

What's India's Health Ministry Saying About the Coronavirus?

On 17 January, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issued an advisory for travellers visiting China in the wake of the Novel Coronavirus outbreak in the neighbouring country.

Here's some key pointers from the advisory:

• Travellers to China should observe good personal hygiene, practice frequent hand washing with soap, follow respiratory etiquette, and cover their mouth when coughing or sneezing.

• They should also avoid close contact with people who are unwell or showing symptoms of illness, such as cough, runny nose etc.

• They should avoid contact with live animals and consumption of raw/undercooked meat.

• They should avoid travel to farms, live animal markets or where animals are slaughtered.

• They should wear a mask if you have respiratory symptoms such as cough or runny nose.

• They should follow simple public health measures at all times.