China Confirms Human-To-Human Transmission of New Coronavirus; CDC Confirms First US Case
An Anonymous Coward writes:
China confirms human-to-human transmission of new coronavirus:
Human-to-human transmission of a new coronavirus strain has been confirmed in China, fueling fears of a major outbreak of the SARS-like virus as millions travel for the Lunar New Year holiday.
Zhong Nanshan, head of the National Health Commission, said on Monday patients may have contracted the new virus without having visited the central city of Wuhan where it was discovered before spreading across China and reaching three other Asian nations.
"Currently, it can be said it is affirmative that there is the phenomenon of human-to-human transmission," he said in an interview with China's CCTV state broadcaster.
Zhong said two people in Guangdong province in southern China caught the disease from family members who had visited Wuhan.
He added that 14 medical personnel helping with coronavirus patients have also been infected.
Human-to-human transmission could make the virus spread more quickly and widely.
CDC Confirms First US Case of New Coronavirus
Public health officials have confirmed the first U.S. case of a mysterious coronavirus that has already killed at least six people and sickened hundreds of others in China, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday.
A male traveler from China has been diagnosed in Snohomish County, Washington State with the Wuhan coronavirus, according to the CDC.
Officials said the sick male, in his 30s, is "very healthy." He is currently being isolated at a medical center in the state "out of caution" and "poses little risk" to the public, they said. The CDC said the male reached out to local health authorities on Jan. 15 once he started experiencing pneumonia-like symptoms.
Previously:
China Reports 3rd Death, Nearly 140 New Cases of Coronavirus
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