Travelers wear face masks as they walk outside of the Beijing Railway Station on Monday.
(Updated: 2:38 p.m EST, Jan. 20 2020)
Topline: Chinese health authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed Monday that two cases of the new coronavirus has been transmitted between humans, after a third person died and 139 more people have been sickened by the illness.
- The total number of reported cases is over 200 as health officials work to understand the source of the outbreak and how it is spreading.
- Chinese authorities also said Monday that cases were reported for the first time in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, which are hundreds of miles from Wuhan, the city where the new coronavirus is believed to have originated from.
- Symptoms could include fever, cough and breathing difficulties, while more advanced cases could lead to pneumonia, kidney failure and even death; the third coronavirus death was reported Saturday in China, but more information about the patient is unknown.
- South Korea also confirmed its first case Monday—a 35-year-old woman who traveled from Wuhan—joining Thailand and Japan on the list of countries that have identified patients with the coronavirus.
- According to the New York Times, 25 patients have recovered from the coronavirus.
- WHO said the spike in reported cases is due to “increased searching and testing” among people with respiratory illnesses.
Surprising fact: The word “coronavirus” is named for a family of related viruses, and is not the specific name for this new outbreak. Coronavirus got its name from the crown-like spikes visible on its surface when examined under a microscope. Health officials are referring to the outbreak as “2019-nCoV.”
Key background: The first new coronavirus case was reported on December 31 in Wuhan thought to be contracted from exposure to animals at a seafood and meat market there. According to the Times, officials have closed and disinfected the market. Coronavirus belongs to the same group of viruses as the common cold, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). The 2003 SARS outbreak killed nearly 800 people while infecting 8,000 more, causing widespread panic before being contained. MERS has been present in the Middle East region since 2012 and remains an ongoing threat.
What to watch for: The CDC issued guidance for travelers to Wuhan. Visitors should avoid animals and animal markets, along with animal products, to wash hands regularly with soap, and avoid sick people. Any visitors who feel sick should stay home, unless seeking medical care, and should also wash their hands regularly. If a traveler is coughing or sneezing, they should cover their mouth and nose with their sleeve or a tissue. Additionally, three U.S. airports and some Chinese airports are screening passengers for signs of the illness. .
