Death toll hits 41 as doctor dies from virus in China

22 Chinese provinces have now declared a level 1
emergency, allowing them to introduce measures including quarantine. 1,287
people are now reported to have been infected in China.
Coronavirus has flu-like symptoms, which can develop
into severe respiratory problems.
The current outbreak is understood to be a new
strain of coronavirus, not previously found in humans. The virus can be
transmitted between humans and animals, making it harder to contain.
Other strains of coronavirus are not as dangerous -
the common cold is one.
Authorities have said that the current strain of the
virus originated at a seafood market in Wuhan, in the Hubei province of China,
which has seen the most severe outbreak of coronavirus. It is thought that the
market was engaged in illegal wildlife sales, and has now been shut down.
Hu Yinghai, the deputy director general of the civil
affairs department in Hubei province, where Wuhan is located, appealed this
morning for masks and protective suits.
“We are steadily pushing forward the disease control
and prevention ... But right now we are facing an extremely severe public
health crisis,” he told a news briefing.
Vehicles carrying emergency supplies and medical
staff for Wuhan would be exempted from tolls and given traffic priority,
China’s transportation ministry said on Saturday.
More than 400 military doctors arrived in Wuhan on
Friday night, including those experience tackling Ebola.
The city, home to 11 million people, is on lockdown,
with residents unable to leave.
Coronavirus is more likely to affect older or
middle-aged people, especially those who have had diseases before, according to
Dr Nathalie MacDermott, a clinical research fellow in infectious diseases at
Imperial College London.
For younger people, the virus “may be similar to
having the flu”, she told Sky News this morning.
MacDermott also said the UK was well prepared to
deal with the virus, and already had tests in place.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and
Control has issued a statement following the news that the virus has reached
Europe, with three confirmed cases in France.
It said the development was “not unexpected” but
“the fact that these cases were identified, proves that detection and
confirmation of this novel virus is working in France, showing a high level of
preparedness to prevent and control possible infections”.
It said: “Most EU countries have plans and measures
in place to contain this kind of infection and Europe has well-equipped
laboratories that can confirm probable cases, in addition to hospitals that are
prepared to treat patients accordingly.”
It added that more cases in Europe were likely.
Last night, authorities in England set up a public
health hub at Heathrow airport, in terminal four.
The hub is staffed by teams of seven clinicians
working on rotation, who will support those flying in from China who feel
unwell.
In a statement, Public Health England said its
priority was to distribute information to those arriving from China.
“Most people who develop symptoms will get them
after leaving the airport and so our priority is providing UK residents and
travellers with the latest information to make sure they know what to do if
they experience symptoms,” a spokesperson said.
“The NHS and PHE have an established plan to respond
to someone who becomes unwell,” it added.
Chinese state media are reporting that a second
hospital, with a capacity of 1,300 beds, will be built to tackle the virus.
Construction has begun and is scheduled to be
completed in around two weeks.
Shanghai’s Disneyland resort will be closed from
Saturday, and the popular destination of Sanya city has shut down all tourist
sites to limit the possible spread.
Haikou city, the capital of the Hainan province, has
started a two-week medical observation period for all tourists from Hubei, the
region where Wuhan is located.
Thailand and Hong Kong each have five reported
cases, Australia has four, and France, Japan, Singapore and Taiwan have three
each.
Vietnam, South Korea and the US have two reported
cases, and Nepal has one.
In the UK, 14 people have been tested for the virus
but all came back negative.
Australia now has four confirmed cases of the virus,
one in Melbourne and three in New South Wales. All four people had recently
visited China.
The three men in New South Wales, aged 43, 45, and
53, had arrived directly from Wuhan, where the virus first emerged.
The Guardian’s Ben Doherty has more information.
China’s ministry of finance and its National Health
Commission are allocating a special fund for treatment and prevention of the
virus. They’re also offering subsidies for medical staff tackling the illness.
Eighteen cities in China have suspended public
transport.
Hong Kong’s chief executive, Carrie Lam, has said
the response level has been raised from “serious” to “emergency”, the highest
level.
A marathon has been cancelled, and new year
celebrations scaled back. Primary and secondary school students will be given
an extra two weeks holiday to avoid the virus spreading in schools.
Lam also said trains and planes from Wuhan would be
blocked.
She said she would be personally chairing an
interdepartmental committee to enable a faster response to the spread of the
virus.
“We will not be frugal about the resources needed,”
she said.