Wuhan confirms 136 new coronavirus-related pneumonia cases, death toll rising to 3
China reported 136 new cases of the mysterious virus early Monday, including one person dead, bringing the death toll to three.
Of the 136 new cases in the central city of Wuhan — believed to be the epicenter of the outbreak — 59 were confirmed on Saturday, 77 on Sunday, according to a statement released by the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission at 2:42am Monday.
These patients, 66 male and 70 female, ranged from 25 to 89 years old. They showed symptoms such as fever, cough, oppression of the chest or difficulty in breathing before Saturday, the commission said.
Of the patients, 33 were in serious condition, while three critical — one of the three succumbed to death.
This has brought the death toll linked to the new coronavirus-related pneumonia to three.
The first a 69-year-old man who died last Wednesday after the disease caused pulmonary tuberculosis and damaged multiple organ functions.
The second man to die became sick on December 31 and his condition worsened two weeks ago.
The virus has now infected 198 people in Wuhan, with three dead, nine in critical condition, 35 in serious condition, 25 cured and discharged from hospital, and the rest remaining in isolation receiving treatment.
Epidemiological investigations into the new cases are underway and close contacts are being traced, the authority said.
Three cases Beijing, Shenzhen
Meanwhile, the health commission in Beijing's Daxing District confirmed early Monday that two pneumonia patients, who both had been to Wuhan, were infected with the new coronavirus. They showed the symptom of fever but are both in stable condition. No more details about the patients are available.
About the same time, the health commission of southern China's Guangdong Province said that a 66-year-old man in Shenzhen was infected with the new coronavirus.
The man went to Wuhan to see his relatives on December 29, 2019, and showed the symptom of fever on January 3. He came back to Shenzhen the next day and was transferred to a designated hospital in isolation receiving treatment on January 11. He is now in stable condition.
'Controllable'
China’s National Health Commission said earlier on Sunday the outbreak of a new strain of coronavirus is controllable.
The transmission path of the new virus hasn’t been mapped completely and the source of the virus is unknown, it said, adding that it will step up monitoring during Lunar new year, when much of China’s population will travel to celebrate the holiday next week.
Authorities said they had begun “optimized” testing of pneumonia cases across the city to identify those infected, and would begin “detection work... towards suspected cases in the city” as a next step, as well as carrying out “sampling tests.”
Epidemiological analysis of previously published cases found that some cases had no exposure to Wuhan’s Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, which is believed to be related to most of the infected cases.
It has been temporarily closed while disinfection is carried out.
No human-to-human transmission has been confirmed so far, but Wuhan’s health commission had previously said the possibility “cannot be excluded.”
A total of 727 among the 817 close contacts placed under medical observation had been released. No cases were found among the close contacts.
Two cases have also been reported in Thailand and one in Japan — both involving people who traveled from Wuhan. One of the two patients in Thailand has recovered.
Wuhan deputy mayor Chen Xiexin said on China Central Television that infrared thermometers had been installed at airports, railway stations and coach stations across the city.
Chen said passengers with fevers were being registered, given masks and taken to medical institutions, with nearly 300,000 body temperature tests carried out already, according to China Central Television.
A timeline of the outbreak
December 31, 2019
Twenty-seven cases of viral pneumonia have been discovered in central China’s Wuhan City. Seven out of the 27 cases were in critical condition, while the rest were “controllable.”
January 3, 2020
A total of 44 people were showing symptoms of pneumonia in Wuhan, of whom 11 were in serious condition.
January 5, 2020
A total of 59 pneumonia cases were confirmed in Wuhan. The root cause of the outbreak is still under investigation, but SARS, MERS and bird flu have all been ruled out.
January 9, 2020
The virus that caused the pneumonia outbreak in Wuhan was identified as a new type of coronavirus.
January 11, 2020
The local health commission reported the first death amid the viral pneumonia outbreak in Wuhan.
January 14, 2020
The first case of novel coronavirus infection outside China was detected in a Chinese tourist at the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand.
January 15, 2020
The limited possibility of human-to-human transmission has not been ruled out in the pneumonia outbreak.
January 16, 2020
A pneumonia patient was found infected with coronavirus in Japan and was released from the hospital after treatment.
January 17, 2020
A second patient infected with the new coronavirus has been confirmed dead. Thailand has found and confirmed a second case of the virus as they ramped up checks on Chinese visitors.
January 18, 2020
Four more patients were infected with coronavirus in Wuhan. Also, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began taking temperatures and asking about symptoms to passengers who traveled from the outbreak city of Wuhan at three US airports.
January 19, 2020
Seventeen more people have been diagnosed with the new type of coronavirus in Wuhan. By last Friday, a total of 62 cases have been reported in Wuhan, among whom two died, eight remain in critical condition, and 19 had been discharged from hospitals.
January 19, 2020
Wuhan confirmed 136 new coronavirus-related pneumonia cases. One of the patients died, bringing the death toll to three. Meanwhile, Beijing confirmed two cases, while Shenzhen reported one.