Key points: China Coronavirus Outbreak, Coronavirus updates and statistics
Coronavirus outbreak in China was first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) on December 31, 2019. The virus was reported in a Wuhan city located in Hubei Province of China. Wuhan is a population of 11 million people. Initially, the cases cantered around the city’s seafood market (Huanan South China).
As per the local health officials, the infected people
were mainly purchasers and business staff in the market where traders sell the
seafood as well as the animals including birds and rabbits. According to the
World Health Organization, the seafood, animals, and birds are most likely to
be the source of novel coronavirus (n-CoV).
According to China Central Television, The new virus
n-CoV was reported to be discovered by January 9, 2020. On January 11, the
genetic sequence of this virus was shared by Chinese scientists. Chinese
officials confirmed the human-to-human transmission of the virus by January 20.
Later, on January 23, (WHO) also confirmed the “fourth-generation” spread of the
coronavirus in Wuhan city. This meant that individuals spread it to the second
group of individuals who spread it further to the third group. The third group of
individuals was believed to transmit the virus to another fourth group.
A modelling study conducted by (Wu et al., 2020)
revealed that about 5993 cases of n-CoV infections have been confirmed in
mainland China by January 29, 2020. These figures included 132 deaths. About 78
cases were exported from Wuhan city to the regions situated outside mainland
China.
But, according to the National Health Commission, about
6057 people got infected by the virus across the world as of January 29. About
5970 patients were from mainland China. Among these, 3554 patients were from
Hubei province which is home to Wuhan city. The remaining cases within China were from different cities and provinces including Guangdong, Shanghai, Beijing,
and Hong Kong (National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China,
2020). The majority of the Chinese cities like Shanghai, Shenzhen, Beijing, and
Guangzhou) are the global transport hubs with many outbound and inbound
passengers that further worsened the situation.
The most critical situation is that the coronavirus has
spread out of China as well. India, the neighbouring country, has also reported
its first confirmed case on January 30 in the state of Kerala. The affected person
had a travel history from the city of Wuhan. Two more clinically stable cases
were also reported in Kerala state. According to Johns Hopkins University
Center for Systems Science and Engineering, some other countries including US,
Japan, Thailand, Canada, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, France, Nepal, Vietnam,
Australia, Korea, and Germany have also confirmed the presence of the virus in some
people having travelling history to China.
The latest news coming from China is not satisfactory
where the reported deaths by coronavirus have reached 425 out of the total 427
global deaths till 5th February 2020. The 2
other deaths were reported in the Philippines and Thailand. China’s Health
commission reported 64 deaths on 3rd February that is the largest
number in a single day since the detection of the virus.
China has accepted the difficulties and shortcomings under
the worsened situation where over 20,471 people are reported to be affected by
the virus as of February 5th. China has taken phenomenal steps
including the construction of new hospitals, improved treatment, isolation of
infected areas, and creation of awareness among people (Roberts, 2020). World community also
needs to step forward in order to help China in this critical situation so that
the worldwide threats of this latest outbreak may be managed timely.
Sources
National Health Commission
of the People's Republic of China (2020). Epidemic Prevention and
control dynamics. [online] Available at: http://www.nhc.gov.cn/wjw/index.shtml
[Accessed 7 Feb. 2020].
Roberts K. (2020). China
coronavirus outbreak: All the latest updates. [online] Aljazeera.com.
Available at:
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/china-admits-shortcomings-coronavirus-death-toll-hits-425-200203234036932.html
[Accessed 7 Feb. 2020].
Wu, J.T., Leung, K. and
Leung, G.M. (2020). Nowcasting and forecasting the potential domestic and
international spread of the 2019-nCoV outbreak originating in Wuhan, China: a
modelling study. The Lancet
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