niman

On January 14, a medical institution in Kanagawa Prefecture reported to a public health center with pneumonia who had stayed in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. About this person, when he / she visited a medical institution on January 6, a report of his / her stay history in Wuhan was made. It was reported based on the inspection system (similarity surveillance). 検 査 When the specimen of the patient was examined at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (Murayama government office), a new coronavirus-positive result was obtained yesterday (January 15) at around 20:45. It is the first time that domestic cases of pneumonia related to the new coronavirus have been confirmed in Japan. に つ い て We will conduct active epidemiological surveys on this matter and promote risk assessment in cooperation with related organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO). Overview (1) Age: 30s (2) Gender: Male (3) Resident prefecture: Kanagawa prefecture (4) Symptoms: fever since January 3rd. Returned from Wuhan, Hubei Province, China on January 6. On the same day, he visited a medical institution. Hospitalized from January 10th. On January 15, the symptoms subsided and the patient was discharged. (5) Country of stay: China (Wuhan, Hubei Province) (6) Action history in the country of stay: According to reports from the person himself, he has not stopped at the seafood market in Wuhan (South China Seafood Castle). Potential close contact with unspecified pneumonia patients in China. https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/newpage_08906.html

In Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, pneumonia that seems to be caused by new coronaviruses is one after another.A man living in Kanagawa Prefecture who had traveled to Wuhan complained of pneumonia symptoms in Japan, and as a result of examination, a new corona virus was found. An interview with the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare revealed that the virus was detected. This is the first time that a new coronavirus infection has been confirmed in Japan. https://t.co/r3DFVNQ3qt?amp=1

New type pneumonia confirmed for the first time in Japan Travel history to China and Wuhan 1/16 (Thursday) 6:52 delivery 　In Wuhan City , Hubei Province in central China , unexplained cases of pneumonia have been occurring one after another. Officials said yesterday that a positive reaction for pneumonia had occurred. It is the first time that a patient has been confirmed in Japan, and the government is expected to consult with related ministries and agencies on the same day. https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20200116-00000508-san-hlth

New type pneumonia confirmed for the first time in Japan Travel history to China and Wuhan Four 1053 1:57 on January 16, 2020 Sankei Shimbun 　In Wuhan City, Hubei Province in central China, unexplained cases of pneumonia have been occurring one after another. A positive reaction for pneumonia was reported on Tuesday, officials said. 　It is the first time a patient has been confirmed in Japan, and the government is expected to consult with relevant ministries and agencies on the same day. https://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/17669785/

Title of link to breaking story Atypical pneumonia, travel history to the first confirmation China, Wuhan in Japan https://www.sankei.com/flash/newslist/flash-n1.html

New type pneumonia confirmed for the first time in Japan Travel history to China and Wuhan 2020.1.16 01:55Life body TwitterreactionFacebookfont sizeprinting 　Seafood market in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, where many patients with unknown pneumonia appeared = December, 2019 　In Wuhan City, Hubei Province in central China, unexplained cases of pneumonia have been occurring one after another. A positive reaction for pneumonia was reported on Tuesday, officials said. It is the first time a patient has been confirmed in Japan, and the government is expected to consult with relevant ministries and agencies on the same day https://www.sankei.com/life/news/200116/lif2001160010-n1.html

Media report citing 2019-nCoV confirmation in resident in Japan ex-Wuhan. This thread will tally 2019-nCoV cases in Japan.

Jan 15 update on clusters and sequences http://recombinomics.co/thedrnimanshow/2020/01/011520.mp3

While preliminary investigations indicate that most of the patients had worked at or visited a particular seafood wholesale market, one woman may have contracted the virus from her husband, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission said in a public notice. The commission said the husband, who fell ill first, worked at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market. Meanwhile, the wife said she hasn’t had any exposure to the market. It’s possible that the husband brought home food from the market that then infected his wife, Hong Kong health official Chuang Shuk-kwan said at a news briefing. But because the wife did not exhibit symptoms until days after her husband, it’s also possible that he infected her. https://apnews.com/89facb95962d7d20d1377ae0c2ac0eed

World on alert for potential spread of new SARS-like virus found in China By Jon Cohen, Dennis NormileJan. 14, 2020 , 4:25 PM Had the nightmare returned? That’s the question many were asking in the first 10 days of this year, after a new form of pneumonia emerged in Wuhan, a megacity in central China. The outbreak revived memories of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), the disease that emerged in China in 2002 and sickened 8098 people in 37 countries before it was quashed in the summer of 2003. Like SARS, the Wuhan pneumonia cases were linked to a market selling myriad species of live animals, and they appear to be caused by a new member of the coronavirus family closely related to the SARS virus. And once again, China appeared to be less than forthcoming with information. Today, global health experts are breathing a little easier. As Science went to press, only one of 42 people known to be infected had died: a 61-year-old man already suffering from abdominal tumors and chronic liver disease. (SARS had a 9.6% mortality rate.) No evidence suggests the virus easily passes between humans, which can turn a local problem into a global crisis. And Chinese researchers have now shared the sequence of six genomes of the as-yet-unnamed virus with the world. Scientists in other countries have used the data. The World Health Organization (WHO) plans to soon publish a diagnostic test for the new virus that was developed by Christian Drosten, a virologist at Charité University Hospital in Berlin, and other researchers based on the sequences released by China. It detects fragments from three different genes in the novel coronavirus that are also present in the SARS virus. “We wanted to use SARS as a basis because every public health laboratory has SARS RNA as a positive control so they can get started immediately," says Drosten, noting that SARS itself has not been detected in humans in 15 years. Ralph Baric, a coronavirus researcher at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, is already trying to synthesize live virus from the data so that he can study it in animals and help develop a simple-to-use antibody test. Still, many questions remain. Researchers have not identified the animal species at the marketplace that harbored the virus. When it emerged and the true number of people infected remain a mystery. Meanwhile, a case in Thailand, reported on 13 January—in a tourist who flew from Wuhan to Bangkok—led WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to consult experts on outbreak responses. The patient had not visited the Wuhan market at the center of the outbreak but had been to other animal markets, WHO reported on 14 January. The first known patient developed symptoms—which can include difficulty breathing and fever—on 8 December 2019. Officials closed the seafood market on New Year’s Day, and no new patients have been identified in Wuhan since 3 January. The virus was not found in 763 close contacts of those infected, or in health care workers, who often fall ill during outbreaks of viruses that can transmit between humans. “It is a limited outbreak,” says Xu Jianguo, who runs an infectious disease laboratory at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and heads an evaluation committee that’s advising the Chinese government. “If no new patients appear in the next week, it might be over.” WHO said in a 12 January statement that it was “reassured of the quality of the ongoing investigations and the response measures implemented in Wuhan, and the commitment to share information regularly.” But others criticized the way early information came out. News that researchers had discovered a novel coronavirus came in an 8 January story in The Wall Street Journal; Xu confirmed the finding on a state-run TV station several hours later. “It’s not a good situation when The Wall Street Journal [reports] a SARS-like coronavirus before the Chinese government announces it,” Baric says. On 10 January, Jeremy Farrar, an infectious disease specialist who heads the London-based Wellcome Trust, tweeted his worry about rumors that the Chinese government did not share “critical public health information” because Chinese researchers wanted to ensure publication of their findings in high-profile journals first. Less than 12 hours later, however, evolutionary biologist Edward Holmes of the University of Sydney published an “initial” sequence of the new coronavirus on virological.org, on behalf of a consortium led by Zhang Yong-Zhen of Fudan University in Shanghai. The next day, three groups working under China’s National Health Commission posted another five sequences of the virus, gathered from different patients, on GISAID, a database primarily used for sharing data on influenza viruses. The six sequences differ little from each other, which evolutionary biologist Andrew Rambaut of the University of Edinburgh says is “consistent with a point source”—meaning they likely came from the same batch of infected animals at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, which also sells birds, snakes, and rabbit meat. (No coronaviruses have ever been found in fish.) But the fact that cases surfaced over the course of 1 month suggests the source was more than one group of animals at one location, Farrar says: “It makes me worry that whatever the exposure was to, it went on for quite a long time.” Virologist Guan Yi of Hong Kong University agrees that the Wuhan outbreak was caused by multiple jumps from animal to human hosts “separately and independently.” Whatever species spread the virus at the market may have picked it up from some natural reservoir. Many coronaviruses occur naturally in bats, and the new virus is closest to four bat viruses that have surface proteins capable of infecting human cells. Still, Rambaut cautions there may well be another natural host. “It’s quite similar to a bat virus in parts of its genome, but not so much in other parts,” he says. Farrar notes that most confirmed cases to date were mild, which means that even before health officials recognized the outbreak, the virus may have infected many other people who never sought medical care. That makes it premature to conclude the pathogen doesn’t spread from human to human, he says. Nurses and doctors, too, may have been infected without anyone noticing, he adds: “With a coronavirus, I’d be very surprised if there wasn’t some limited human-to-human transmission.” So far, cases have been confirmed by detecting nucleic acid from the virus, which disappears after patients recover. Now that the virus has been isolated, researchers can also develop antibody tests that pick up signs of past infection. Limited as the outbreak appears to date, Farrar and others still worry that travel of hundreds of millions of people for the Lunar New Year celebration on 25 January could spread the virus from Wuhan, a major transportation hub, to other cities. “With people, food and animals move,” says Farrar, who suspects that this outbreak “is not going away anytime soon.” With reporting by Kai Kupferschmidt. Posted in: Asia Health doi:10.1126/science.aba9012 Jon Cohen Jon is a staff writer for Science. Email Jon Twitter Denni https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/01/world-alert-potential-spread-new-sars-virus-found-china?utm_campaign=news_daily_2020-01-14&et_rid=17052453&et_cid=3163769

Meanwhile, a 61-year-old tourist from Wuhan is being treated at a hospital in Nonthaburi, to the north of Bangkok, after testing positive for the new strain on her arrival in Thailand. The World Health Organisation (WHO) said in a tweet on Wednesday morning that the woman was a frequent visitor to a fresh market in Wuhan, though not specifically the one at the centre of the outbreak. “The patient reported a history of visiting a local fresh market in Wuhan on a regular basis prior to the onset of illness; however, she did not report visiting the Huanan South China Seafood Market from where most of the novel #coronavirus (2019-nCoV) cases were detected,” it said, using the official name of the newly identified virus. Professor David Hui Shu-cheong, an expert on respiratory medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said that on the basis of the woman’s statement, authorities in Wuhan should investigate the market she said she had visited and check any others that sold game meat. Officials in Wuhan said earlier that several people who had been in close contact with the tourist had been put under medical observation, but none had shown any abnormal symptoms. Despite the absence of clear evidence of human-to-human transmission and lack of infections reported among health care workers, the WHO called for further investigation into possible modes of transmission, because of the dangers of the potential human-to-human spread of respiratory illnesses. “It can be difficult to determine if they are ill due to exposure to a common source of infection, or because one person passed the illness to the other,” it said in a statement. “Existing investigation found no clear human-to-human evidence. The possibility of limited human-to-human transmission cannot be ruled out, but the risk of continued human-to-human transmission is low.” Health experts have not ruled out the possibility of the virus spreading from person to person. Photo: Jun Mai Wuhan authorities have collected environment samples from the seafood market, which has been closed since January 1, and found some that tested positive for the coronavirus. Preliminary investigations in other markets in the city had found no clues to the source of the outbreak, the health commission said. Chuang said she was told that some of the samples – taken from table tops, the floor and vendors’ gloves, among other places – had tested positive for the coronavirus. “I understand they have also collected samples from other areas of the market but so far only those collected from the seafood section tested positive.” Asked if there was any evidence that the virus could have come from an animal, Chuang said: “I understand [local experts] may also have started trying to trace the source of the virus to animals. “The experts are of the view that the chance of seafood being the source of the virus [found in the environmental samples] is not high. Thus, the direction would be tracing it to some other animal,” she said. “The Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market mainly sells seafood and poultry. We were also given to understand that animals such as bamboo rats, snakes, badgers and hedgehogs were also available there.” Wuhan pneumonia ‘bears close similarity to Sars’, analysis finds 15 Jan 2020 Most of the people diagnosed were middle-aged or elderly and male, the Wuhan health authority said. Six of the 41 were still being treated as severe cases, while seven had been cured and discharged. More than 760 people who had been in close contact with those patients had been put under medical investigation, with 187 having been removed from quarantine by Tuesday after showing no symptoms for two weeks, the authorities said. As a major transport hub with a population of 11 million people, the pneumonia outbreak in Wuhan has raised concerns the disease could spread to other cities during the Lunar New Year travel season, which is now under way. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3046173/china-says-human-transmission-not-ruled-out-wuhan-coronavirus

China coronavirus outbreak: five members of two families among 41 people infected in Wuhan Father, son and cousin who lived in the same house and ran a stall at the seafood market at the centre of outbreak among those hit, authorities say Seafood trader and his wife also being treated, despite woman never having visited the market Zhuang Pinghui in Beijing andNg Kang-chung Published: 2:16pm, 15 Jan, 2020 A man leaves a treatment centre in Wuhan, where 41 people have tested positive for the new strain of the coronavirus. Photo: AFP Health officials have revealed that three members of the same family were among the 41 people that contracted the newly identified coronavirus in the central China city of Wuhan, adding that they have neither confirmed nor ruled out the possibility of human-to-human transmission. The three men – a father, his son and a cousin – lived together and ran a seafood stall at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, which is widely thought to have been where the pneumonia outbreak started, Wuhan officials told visiting health experts from Hong Kong . In an update released early on Wednesday, the officials said also that a husband and wife were among those affected. But while the husband worked at the seafood market as a trader, his wife had never even visited it. Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan, one of the Hong Kong experts, said she was told there was no definitive evidence of human-to-human transmission and that no health care workers had been infected. While the possibility of “limited” human-to-human transmission could not be ruled out, the risk of sustained human-to-human transmission was low, she said. “The three men fell ill around the same time. As such, perhaps, they were not classified as human-to-human transmission cases within a family,” Chuang said. SUBSCRIBE LUNAR Get updates direct to your inbox SUBMIT By registering, you agree to our T&C and Privacy Policy She said the visiting experts had two meetings with local officials but did not visit the market. Wuhan pneumonia: how the search for the source unfolded 15 Jan 2020 According to health professionals, “limited” human-to-human transmission may occur under certain circumstances such as close contact between an infected person and an unprotected carer. However, limited transmission under such restricted circumstances does not mean that the virus spreads easily among humans. Health authorities in Wuhan became aware of the coronavirus outbreak last month after several people – mostly vendors, suppliers and frequent visitors to the market – fell ill with pneumonia. One person has since died from the disease. As well as the infections in Wuhan, 76 suspected cases had been reported in Hong Kong as of Wednesday, of which 66 were later given the all-clear and discharged from hospital. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3046173/china-says-human-transmission-not-ruled-out-wuhan-coronavirus

http://mediaarchives.gsradio.net/rense/special/rense_011420_hr3.mp3

She also pointed out that in addition to the couple's case, there was also a case of a three-person group in which the patients were a father and son and a son-in-law. Zhang Zhujun said that of the 41 patients in Wuhan, seven adults had visited the South China Seafood Market, which is believed to be the source of the disease. The remaining patients reported that they had not been there or were "too serious to ask", and most of the patients appeared on the market for sale. The area of aquatic seafood is not for those who sell game. She said that in addition to living together, the three patients in the three-person group also operated stores in the South China Seafood Market. The onset time was relatively short. It is believed that they may be more likely to be jointly exposed to the virus and less likely to be transmitted from person to person. However, she said that during the inspection, she did not ask in detail what the three patients were selling in the market. "The question was missed." Therefore, she was not sure. They could only infer that they were also selling aquatic products.

Among the 41 cases currently diagnosed , one was found to be clustered in the family. The husband and wife developed the disease first, and the husband first developed the disease. He was an employee of the South China Seafood Wholesale Market. His wife denied a history of South China Seafood Wholesale Market exposure. Report post (IP: 67.248.111.152) Posted 1 hour ago [Wuhan Pneumonia] Wuhan South China Seafood Market Environmental Samples Detected Virus Couples and the Transmission of Humans or Objects Was Not Determined (16:26) Figure 2-1-The mainland authorities in the South China seafood market believed to be the source of pneumonia in Wuhan, environmental samples are against the new crown... (Profile picture) A pneumonia caused by a new coronavirus broke out in Wuhan. A government team from Hong Kong met with reporters this afternoon (15th) after a visit to Wuhan. Zhang Zhujun, director of the Department of Infectious Diseases of the Center for Health Protection, said that in the South China Seafood Market in Wuhan, which is suspected to be the source of the disease, environmental samples have been tested positive for the new coronavirus; a case of a couple infected by the mainland has not yet been identified. It is said that his wife became ill after he brought home items from the market and polluted the environment. She also pointed out that in addition to the couple's case, there was also a case of a three-person group in which the patients were a father and son and a son-in-law. Zhang Zhujun said that of the 41 patients in Wuhan, seven adults had visited the South China Seafood Market, which is believed to be the source of the disease. The remaining patients reported that they had not been there or were "too serious to ask", and most of the patients appeared on the market for sale. The area of aquatic seafood is not for those who sell game. She said that in addition to living together, the three patients in the three-person group also operated stores in the South China Seafood Market. The onset time was relatively short. It is believed that they may be more likely to be jointly exposed to the virus and less likely to be transmitted from person to person. However, she said that during the inspection, she did not ask in detail what the three patients were selling in the market. "The question was missed." Therefore, she was not sure. They could only infer that they were also selling aquatic products. A couple who was defined as a family group case, Zhang Zhujun initially only said that her husband developed the disease first, and his wife developed the disease "every few days". After questioning, she said that "there was no question to be clear". It is believed that the conversation between the mainland personnel occurred about 5 days apart. She also did not ask whether the condition of the wife, who was later affected, was more severe or milder than that of her husband. Zhang Zhujun pointed out that environmental samples from the South China seafood market, including the ground, table tops, and gloves, were positive for the new coronavirus, and the samples came from areas where aquatic products were sold. She said that although human-to-human cases of infected couples could not be ruled out at this stage, it is also possible that the husband brought home the virus-carrying items from the market, which polluted the home environment and infected his wife. https://news.mingpao.com/ins/港聞/article/20200115/s00001/1579076442327/【武漢肺炎】武漢華南海鮮市場環境樣本驗出病毒-夫婦發病未確定人傳人或物件

Among the 41 cases currently diagnosed , one was found to be clustered in the family. The husband and wife developed the disease first, and the husband first developed the disease. He was an employee of the South China Seafood Wholesale Market. His wife denied a history of South China Seafood Wholesale Market exposure. http://wjw.wuhan.gov.cn/front/web/showDetail/2020011509040

More information being released on 2019-nCoV clusters in Wuhan. This thread will tally details.

http://mediaarchives.gsradio.net/rense/special/rense_011420_hr3.mp3

http://mediaarchives.gsradio.net/rense/special/rense_011420_hr3.mp3

BANGKOK (AP) — A Chinese visitor to Thailand has been confirmed to be infected with a new strain of coronavirus that has been linked to a pneumonia outbreak in central China, health officials said Monday. The U.N.’s World Health Organization said Thai officials have reported that a traveler from the Chinese city of Wuhan has been hospitalized in Thailand with the virus. The outbreak of the virus has been traced to Wuhan, where it affected several dozen people who had been to a major meat and seafood market. Thai Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said it appears to be the first confirmed case of the virus found outside China, the Bangkok Post newspaper and other Thai media reported. He identified the infected tourist as a 61-year-old woman whose symptoms were detected on arrival at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport last Wednesday. Her coronavirus was confirmed Sunday by a laboratory test, Anutin said. She has been treated at an isolation ward at a state health facility outside of Bangkok, and no longer has any fever or respiratory symptoms, he said. Eight other people with possible symptoms have also been held at the facility, he said, but none has been confirmed to have the virus. A statement issued Monday by the Geneva-based World Health Organization said it is working with officials in Thailand and China following the report of the confirmed case outside China. The agency says its director-general is consulting with the agency’s emergency committee, which generally decides whether viral outbreaks merit an expanded response from health authorities. “The possibility of cases being identified in other countries was not unexpected, and reinforces why WHO calls for ongoing active monitoring and preparedness in other countries,” the agency said. “WHO reiterates that it is essential that investigations continue in China to identify the source of this outbreak and any animal reservoirs or intermediate hosts.” The virus is not believed to be spread by human-to-human contact. Officials in Wuhan said over the weekend that a total of 41 people were suffering from pneumonia caused by the new coronavirus and a 61-year-old man had died — China’s first known death from the virus. China says the cause of the Wuhan outbreak remains unknown but has sought to play down speculation that it could be a reappearance of the SARS epidemic, which killed hundreds in 2002 and 2003. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some of which cause the common cold. Others found in bats, camels and other animals have evolved to cause more severe illnesses. Common symptoms include a runny nose, headache, cough and fever. Shortness of breath, chills and body aches are associated with more dangerous kinds of coronaviruses, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/2020/01/14/officials-confirm-1st-case-of-coronavirus-from-chinas-wuhan/

https://www.renseradio.com/listenlive.php

https://www.renseradio.com/listenlive.php

Interview tonight at 11 PM ET includes update on H2H and Bangkok ex-Wutan 61F tourist Dr. Henry Niman PhDSARS 2.0 Update... Lots Of New Developments

Interview tonight at 11 PM ET includes update on 61F and H2H transmission Dr. Henry Niman PhDSARS 2.0 Update... Lots Of New Developments

Published Date: 2020-01-14 21:22:35 Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Novel coronavirus (04): China (HU), Thailand ex China, WHO Archive Number: 20200114.6889527 NOVEL CORONAVIRUS (04): CHINA (HUBEI), THAILAND ex CHINA, WHO ************************************************************* A ProMED-mail post http://www.promedmail.org ProMED-mail is a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases http://www.isid.org In this update: [1] Thailand ex China, no contact with implicated Seafood Market [2] Thailand ex China (Wuhan) - WHO DON 14 Jan 2020 [3] Wuhan Public Health Commission update 14 Jan 2020 [4] Potential for International air travel spread ****** [1] Thailand ex China, no contact with implicated Seafood Market Date: 14 Jan 2020 Source: South China Morning Post [edited] https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3046030/wuhan-pneumonia-chinese-tourist-thai-case-did-not The new virus behind recent pneumonia cases in Wuhan is unlikely to cause a widespread, deadly epidemic like SARS [Severe acute respiratory syndrome], scientists say, as revelations that a Chinese tourist in Thailand had not visited the market linked to the outbreak raised fears of a potential spread of the disease. The woman, 61, who was confirmed by Thai authorities to have the new virus, had not visited the now-closed mainland seafood market associated with the outbreak, the Post learned on Tuesday [14 Jan 2020]. The discovery raised fears that the woman, the 1st confirmed case outside China, could have caught the virus in Wuhan at other markets, which she was understood to have visited. That came as Reuters quoted the World Health Organisation as saying there had been "limited" human-to-human transmission of the new coronavirus, but WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told the Post in an email reply that "there has been no evidence" of such an occurrence. Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said an expert meeting would be held on Wednesday [15 Jan 2020] to discuss the latest development of the disease, upon the return of a team of local health officials who visited Wuhan to gain 1st-hand knowledge. When asked why details of the 2-day visit were not disclosed to the public, Lam said: "The trip, organised by the county's National Health Commission, invited not only delegates from Hong Kong, but also from Macau and Taiwan to understand how the mainland authorities have been handling the disease. It has not been kept secret." The tourist, who travelled to Bangkok from the city in Hubei province, was found to have a fever on arrival at Suvarnabhumi Airport on [8 Jan 2020] and was hospitalised that day. She was confirmed on Sunday [12 Jan 2020] to have been infected with the new coronavirus strain, which has struck at least 41 people in Wuhan and killed one. Dr Sopon Eamsiritavorn, from the Thai Ministry of Public Health's Department of Disease Control, told the Post it appeared the woman's infection was not related to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, which Chinese authorities had linked to the Wuhan outbreak and had been closed since [1 Jan 2020]. "It seems there's no relation with the market," he said, when asked whether the patient had visited the outbreak site. A source familiar with the details of the case said the woman did not visit the market. "But she did visit other markets before going to Thailand," the source said. Detailed investigations into the case were in progress. Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection said on Tuesday [14 Jan 2020] that it had been closely monitoring the case in Thailand. Professor David Hui Shu-cheong, a respiratory medicine expert from Chinese University, had previously said that if the woman had not been to the seafood market, it would suggest that the virus had spread to other parts of Wuhan. Details on investigations in Thailand could be found by following reports from officials there, Jasarevic said. Between [31 Dec 2019] and Tuesday [14 Jan 2020], Hong Kong had reported 71 suspected cases, with 60 of them cleared and discharged. Meanwhile, scientists who have studied the genome of the virus behind the recent outbreak believe it is unlikely to cause a widespread, deadly epidemic like SARS. The unnamed virus has been identified as a new strain of coronavirus, the same family of viruses as severe acute respiratory syndrome [SARS]. Chinese scientists released the virus's genome sequence to the public on Saturday [11 Jan 2020], and researchers who analysed the sequence said it was a distant relative of SARS and, therefore, unlikely to be as deadly. "The description given by the Chinese scientists is accurate. This virus is not SARS-CoV and not particularly close by many standards. Based on previous research ... the virus is likely attenuated in terms of disease," said Vineet Menachery, an assistant professor with the University of Texas Medical Branch's department of microbiology and immunology in Galveston. Menachery analysed the genome sequence and found it had only about 73 per cent similarity to SARS. "In certain patients, older people or people with comorbidities, the virus may cause more damage but is not nearly as problematic as the epidemic SARS-CoV strain," he added. Ralph Baric, a coronavirus researcher at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, came up with a similar conclusion after his team tried to replicate the virus in their laboratory based on the genetic code provided by Chinese scientists. Of the 4 known SARS-related bat viruses capable of infecting humans, this one was the most distant from SARS itself, Baric told Science. Baric also praised the speed of the response to the virus. "One of the things that's sad is that the public doesn't realise how incredibly competent the public health and the basic science community are at going from a newly discovered virus to a tremendous amount of capacity to trace and try to control its spread," he told the journal. Xu Jianguo, head of an evaluation committee advising the Chinese government on the emerging virus, also told Science in an interview published on Friday [10 Jan 2020] that no new patients had appeared since [5 Jan 2020]. "It's good news. People fear something like SARS in 2003, but this is a different case. The outbreak is limited," he said. There had been worries about the transparency of the Chinese government's handling of the outbreak, but now that concern had largely been dismissed, according to the Science report. Dr Hu Ming, deputy director of the department of epidemiology and health statistics at Central South University in Changsha, said she had been following the situation in Wuhan closely and had not found any signs of a cover-up after the health authorities 1st announced the outbreak on [31 Dec 2020]. "There was lots of work to do. Sequencing, for instance, would take time. The data must be verified carefully before release. I believe they are following strict, professional procedures," she said. "We have learned a painful lesson from SARS." Feng Zijian, deputy director of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, told China Central Television on Tuesday [14 Jan 2020] that the genome sequence of the coronavirus had showed it was "neither SARS nor MERS" (Middle East respiratory syndrome) and the difference in their genome sequences was "very big.." SARS infected more than 8000 people, killing over 700 globally after originating in China in 2003. In a Sunday [12 Jan 2020] statement, the WHO said the outbreak was probably associated with 1 seafood market in Wuhan, which had since been closed. It also said it was "reassured of the quality of the ongoing investigations and the response measures implemented in Wuhan, and the commitment to share information regularly." The new virus was isolated, analysed and its genetic information released to the world 10 days after the confirmed outbreak. In 2003, it took more than 3 months to do the same with SARS. [Bylines: Elizabeth Cheung, Jitsiree Thongnoi, Stephen Chen in Beijing, Zhuang Pinghui in Beijing] -- Communicated by: ProMED-mail Rapporteur Kunihiko [For more discussion on these findings, see comment following section [2]. - Mod.MPP] ****** [2] Thailand ex China (Wuhan) - WHO DON 14 Jan 2020 Date: 14 Jan 2020 Source: WHO Emergencies preparedness, response, Disease outbreak news [edited] https://www.who.int/csr/don/14-january-2020-novel-coronavirus-thailand-ex-china/en/ On [13 Jan 2020], the Thailand's Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) reported the 1st imported case of lab-confirmed novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) from Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. The case is a 61-year-old Chinese woman living in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. On [5 Jan 2020], she developed fever with chills, sore throat and headache. On [8 Jan 2020], she took a direct flight to Thailand from Wuhan City together with 5 family members in a tour group of 16 people. The traveler with febrile illness was detected on the same day by thermal surveillance at Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), Thailand, and was hospitalized the same day. After temperature check and initial assessment, she was transferred to the hospital for further investigations and treatment. The patient's full exposure history is under investigation. She reported a history of visiting a local fresh market in Wuhan on regular basis prior to the onset of illness on [5 Jan 2020]; however, she did not report visiting the Huanan South China Seafood Market from where most of the cases were detected. Samples tested positive for coronaviruses by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on [12 Jan 2020]. The genomic sequencing analysis performed by Emerging Infectious Diseases Health Science Center, the Thai Red Cross Society (EID-TRC) and the Thai National Institute of Health (Thai NIH), Department of Medical Sciences confirmed that the patient was infected with the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) which was isolated in Wuhan, China (for more information, please see the Disease Outbreak News published on [12 Jan 2020]). As of this writing, the patient is in a stable condition and in hospital. Public health response The Ministry of Public Health Thailand implemented measures for screening travelers from Wuhan city on [3 Jan 2020] at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Don Mueang, Phuket and Chiang Mai airports, and activated enhanced surveillance at public and private hospitals. Since the identification of the case on [5 Jan 2020], Thai health authorities have taken the following measures: - 8 febrile travelers were detected by a thermo-scan at Suvarnabhumi Airport. They have been isolated and tested, and none of them have been confirmed with 2019-nCov infection. - A total of 182 contacts were identified and are being monitored. The contacts were fellow passengers as well as members of the same tour group. Only 1 contact developed respiratory symptoms and the PCR test of throat swab yields positive for Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). - Risk communication guidance has been shared with the public and a hotline has been established by the Department of Disease Control for people returning from the affected area in China with related symptoms. - The Ministry of Public Health of Thailand has international-standard diagnosis and medical care and is closely coordinating with WHO and related departments for the potential response measures. WHO risk assessment - This is the 1st exported case of novel coronavirus from Wuhan city, China. Since the initial report of cases in Wuhan city on [31 Dec 2019], 41 cases have a preliminary diagnosis of 2019-nCoV infection, including 1 death in a person with severe underlying medical conditions (for more information, please see the Disease Outbreak News published on [12 Jan 2020]). As the traveler did not report having visited the market linked to most of the other cases, it is vital that investigations continue to identify the source of infection. To date, China has not reported any cases of infection among healthcare workers or contacts of the cases. Based on the available information there is no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission. No additional cases have been detected since [3 Jan 2020] in China. Additional investigation is needed to ascertain the presence of human-to-human transmission, modes of transmission, common source of exposure and the presence of asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic cases that are undetected. It is critical to review all available information to fully understand the potential transmissibility among humans. WHO advice Health authorities should work with travel, transport and tourism sectors to provide travelers with information to reduce the general risk of acute respiratory infections via travel health clinics, travel agencies, conveyance operators and at points of entry. WHO has provided interim guidance for novel coronaviruses. WHO advises against the application of any travel or trade restrictions on Thailand based on the information currently available on this event. For more information on novel coronavirus, please see: - Technical interim guidance for novel coronavirus, WHO https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus - WHO travel advice for international travel and trade in relation to the outbreak of pneumonia caused by a new coronavirus in China https://www.who.int/ith/2020-0901_outbreak_of_Pneumonia_caused_by_a_new_coronavirus_in_C/en/ - Thailand Ministry of Public Health situation update on novel coronavirus (in Thai) https://ddc.moph.go.th/viralpneumonia/ - Wuhan Municipal Health Commission's briefing on the pneumonia epidemic situation, (in Chinese) http://wjw.wuhan.gov.cn/front/web/list2nd/no/710 -- Communicated by: ProMED-mail Rapporteur Marianne Hopp [There are many interesting points and findings related to this imported case of the Wuhan novel CoV (I'll use Wuhan nCoV for the time being) into Thailand. - 1st, an individual infected with the Wuhan nCoV, travelled outside of Wuhan and was detected on arrival at the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok via fever screening. Thoughts: the virus is travelling with the multitude of people who are travelling from Wuhan (see section [4] below). - 2nd, the date of onset of illness was 5 Jan 2020, Thoughts: The most recent date of onset in the original cluster of 41 individuals was 2 Jan 2020, so there may be continued transmission. - 3rd, the patient did not visit the Huanan South China Seafood Market but did visit a "local fresh market" on a regular basis prior to illness onset. Thoughts: Transmission was not associated with exposure in the Huanan South China Seafood Market. Possible other sources could involve exposure to host/intermediary host (as yet undefined/unidentified) at another fresh market (presume fresh market means wet market), or possible exposure to an individual who was infected with the Wuhan nCoV, with limited person-to-person transmission. In either event, it is clear that this virus is not isolated to the Huanan South China Seafood Market in Wuhan City. Heightened concerns come with the upcoming Chinese New Year celebrations, with major population movement, and major food preparations, which may include major exposures to wet markets in Wuhan as well as elsewhere in China. Hence the need for rapid identification of the host and possible intermediary hosts. - 4th, clinical presentation was fever, sore throat, headache. Thoughts: a mild upper respiratory infection presentation not always presenting to the health sector for etiology of testing, and if seen in an urgent care center in the USA, would most likely be tested for Group A streptococcal infection and not investigated further. - 5th, sequencing of the virus confirmed it was the Wuhan nCoV. Thoughts: There isn't further information to know whether it was identical to the isolates from the Huanan South China Seafood Market or whether there were differences suggesting a separate introduction (from host to humans) As for comparisons with SARS, it is too early to draw conclusions with 20/20 hindsight on this virus and the clinical and epidemiological presentations. An alarmist point of view could mention that the presumed index case of SARS-CoV infection worked with contact with the implicated civet cats and had date of onset of illness on 22 Nov 2002. The 1st information about the outbreak in Guangdong with "scores of cases including medical personnel dying" was on 10 Feb 2003, and retrospective timeline demonstrated a slow start to the outbreak with the "explosion" happening in January 2003, approximately 6-8 weeks after the index case illness, and 3-4 weeks before news of the outbreak leaked outside of China. Hence, we've potentially identified the index case here with date of onset on 8 Dec 2019, and we are now 4.5 weeks following this index case, potentially not enough time for genetic changes that might produce a more virulent clinical picture in some individuals and might arm the virus with human-to-human transmission capabilities. The optimistic point of view recognizes the transparency and openness of China in terms of releasing information on the initial cluster of cases, the speed in which the virus was identified (less than 1 month vs. 4-5 months for SARS-CoV), and the international collaboration that is occurring at the very near start of this newly identified viral threat. With the given level of cooperation and collaboration, one hopes that any changes in virulence and transmissibility of the virus will be identified early and control measures will be implemented accordingly. One key measure that needs to be in place sooner rather than later is the treatment and response of medical personnel to febrile respiratory illness presentations and the use of respiratory precautions at all points of contact in the medical setting. One should be very cautious about predictions at this stage. A map of Thailand showing provinces can be found at https://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/thailand_admin-2013.jpg. HealthMap/ProMED-mail maps: China: http://healthmap.org/promed/p/5294 Thailand: http://healthmap.org/promed/p/151 - Mod.MPP] ****** [3] Wuhan Public Health Commission update 14 Jan 2020 Date: 14 Jan 2020 Source: Wuhan Public Health Commission [in Chinese, mach. trans. edited] http://wjw.wuhan.gov.cn/front/web/showDetail/2020011509040 Tuesday, [14 Jan 2020], National People's Health Commission of Hubei Province, Wuhan Municipal People's Government Questions and answers on pneumonia outbreak of new coronavirus infection ([14 Jan 2020]) Issuing authority: Wuhan City health committee 1. Recently, a tourist from Wuhan was diagnosed with a new coronavirus-infected pneumonia patient in Thailand. Please introduce the situation. Response: On [13 Jan 2020], Thailand reported a case of pneumonia with a new coronavirus infection from Wuhan. The city attaches great importance to timely investigation. The patient is a citizen of our city and is now receiving treatment in Thailand with a stable condition. At the same time, the health department conducted medical observations on all close contacts of the patient found, and there is no abnormal performance at present. 2. At present, in order to detect pneumonia cases of new coronavirus infection as early as possible, what measures have been taken in our city? Response: After the outbreak, the city quickly carried out screening of relevant cases in all medical institutions in the city. Up to now, the expert group has integrated the clinical manifestations, epidemiological history, and laboratory test results of patients to determine new cases of pneumonia caused by coronavirus. [There were 41 cases identified]. Recently, our city has further strengthened case monitoring and search. On the one hand, we continue to do a good job of monitoring for pneumonia of unknown cause, and on the other hand, we carry out case searches at various medical institutions at all levels in our city in order to detect cases early. 3. As of now, has there been any case of human-to-human transmission? Response: Existing survey results show that clear evidence of human-to-human transmission has not been found, and the possibility of limited human-to-human transmission cannot be ruled out, but the risk of continued human-to-human transmission is low. Further research is currently underway combining clinical and epidemiological data. 4. Has a family clustering case been found? Response: Among the 41 cases currently diagnosed, one was found to be clustered in the family. The husband and wife developed the disease, with the husband having developed the disease first. He was an employee of the South China Seafood Wholesale Market. His wife denied a history of South China Seafood Wholesale Market exposure. 5. What are close contacts? Why medical observation of close contacts for 14 days? If close contacts develop symptoms during the observation period, how can they be diagnosed and diagnosed? Response: At present, the close contacts defined in this epidemic are those who live with patients, work and study in the same room, live in the same room, and who have not taken effective protective measures during the diagnosis and treatment of cases. In addition, laboratory testing personnel, other patients or accompanying staff in the ward, other contact situations determined by disease control professionals in the same transportation with the patient and close contact with the person. With reference to the incubation period of diseases caused by other coronaviruses, information about this new coronavirus case, and current prevention and control practices, the medical observation period for close contacts is set to 14 days, and home medical observations are made for close contacts. During the observation period, once the close contacts are found to have abnormal clinical manifestations such as fever and cough, the close contacts will be sent to the designated medical institution for investigation, diagnosis and treatment in a timely manner. 6. What are the characteristics of the epidemic that have been found so far? What is the development trend of the epidemic? Response: Of the 41 cases diagnosed, most were male, and the number of middle-aged and elderly people was higher. In the early stage of the case, fever and cough are the main symptoms, which can be manifested as persistent mild disease in the early stage. Older patients with underlying disease are more likely to progress to severe disease. Preliminary results of existing etiology studies and epidemiological investigations show that most of the cases are related to the South China Seafood Wholesale Market exposure, a few cases deny a history of South China Seafood Wholesale Market exposure, and some cases have been exposed to similar cases. No community transmission has been identified. 7. After closing the South China Seafood Wholesale Market, are there any findings in the market? What measures have other markets taken? Response: After the South China Seafood Wholesale Market was closed, the city strengthened its disposal of market environmental hygiene, carried out disinfection and sanitary disposal of the market, and carried out garbage cleaning and disinfection. In order to strengthen the traceability work, environmental specimens were collected and tested in the market. At present, the test results found that some samples were positive for the new coronavirus. At the same time, preliminary investigations have been conducted in other markets, and no clues related to the source of the infection have been found. -- Communicated by: Mary Marshall <[email protected]> [The important information in this Q and A that has not been covered in other reports is the confirmation of one suspected human-to-human transmission from a husband to his wife, and confirmation that there were some confirmed cases with no known contact with the Huanan South China Seafood Wholesale Market or other known cases, further suggesting the Huanan South China Seafood Wholesale Market was not the only possible location for transmission of this newly identified Wuhan nCoV. An excellent interactive map showing the locations of Seafood Markets in Wuhan city can be found at: https://www.google.com/maps/search/map+oF+Wuhan+City+showing+seafood+markets/@30.4943417,114.137178,11z/data=!3m1!4b1. It is impressive but not surprising to see the multitude of markets, presumably "wet markets" in the city, a city with a population over 11 million inhabitants. - Mod.MPP] ****** [4] Potential for International air travel spread Date: 14 Jan 2020 Source: Journal of Travel Medicine [excerpted, edited] https://academic.oup.com/jtm/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jtm/taaa008/5704418 Pneumonia of Unknown Etiology in Wuhan, China: Potential for International Spread Via Commercial Air Travel Bogoch II, Watts A, Thomas-Bachli A, C Huber, Kraemer MUG, Khan K. Journal of Travel Medicine, taaa008, https://doi.org/10.1093/jtm/taaa008. Published: 14 Jan 2020 Highlight: "There is currently an outbreak of a pneumonia of unknown etiology in Wuhan, China. While there are still several unanswered questions, we evaluate the potential for international dissemination of this disease via commercial air travel should the outbreak continue. We evaluated 2018 travel data generated from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to quantify passenger volumes originating from the international airport in Wuhan, China, between January through March [2018], inclusive. We also report Infectious Disease Vulnerability Index (IDVI) scores for countries receiving significant numbers of travellers from Wuhan. The IDVI score is a validated tool to estimate a country's capacity to prepare for and manage infectious disease threats. A score is based on metrics from seven domains; demographic, health care, public health, disease dynamics, political (domestic), political (international), and economic. Countries are scored between 0-1, with higher scores representing greater capacity to respond to outbreaks. Table 1 [available at source links] outlines the top 20 destination cities with passengers arriving from Wuhan; Bangkok, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Taipei received the largest volumes with 41 080, 23 707, 20 001, and 17 645 arrivals between January and March [2018], respectively. The IDVI for these leading destinations all exceed 0.65. Sydney and Victoria, Australia, and Dubai, UAE are the only 3 cities in the top 20 destinations that are outside of Asia. Bali, Indonesia has the lowest IDVI score (0.563) in the top 20 destination cities. Fortunately, most countries receiving the largest volumes of passengers from Wuhan, China appear to have high IDVI scores, corresponding to relatively strong public health and healthcare capacity." -- Communicated by: ProMED-mail <[email protected]> [This article is a very interesting analysis of the easily identifiable high-risk locations for importation of cases from Wuhan. The table is enlightening both in terms of the amount of airplane traffic in a 3-month period between Wuhan city and other countries, as well as the apparent public health capacity of the Asian countries that will potentially be receiving cases if this outbreak continues and expands its geographic locations. - Mod.MPP] See Also Novel coronavirus (03): China (HU) animal reservoir suggested, RFI 20200114.6887480 Novel coronavirus (02): Thailand ex China (HU) WHO 20200113.6886644 Novel coronavirus (01): China (HU) WHO, phylogenetic tree 20200112.6885385 Undiagnosed pneumonia - China (HU) (10): genome available, Hong Kong surveill. 20200111.6883998 Undiagnosed pneumonia - China (HU) (09): novel coronavirus, more info, fatality 20200110.6883253 Undiagnosed pneumonia - China (HU) (08): novel coronavirus, WHO 20200110.6881082 Undiagnosed pneumonia - China (HU) (07): official confirmation of novel coronavirus 20200108.6878869 Undiagnosed pneumonia - China (06): (HU) Hong Kong surveillance, USA CDC alert 20200108.6876648 Undiagnosed pneumonia - China (05): (HU) novel coronavirus identified 20200108.6877694 Undiagnosed pneumonia - China (04): (HU) Hong Kong surveillance 20200106.6874277 Undiagnosed pneumonia - China (03): (HU) updates, SARS, MERS ruled out, WHO, RFI 20200105.6872267 Undiagnosed pneumonia - China (02): (HU) updates, other country responses, RFI 20200103.6869668 Undiagnosed pneumonia - China (01): (HU) wildlife sales, market closed, RFI 20200102.6866757 2019 ---- Undiagnosed pneumonia - China: (HU) RFI 20191230.6864153 .................................................mpp/msp/lm/msp/jh