Carbon82 Moderator January 22, 2020 Author Share January 22, 2020 Wuhan pneumonia outbreak: A timeline of how the new coronavirus spread BEIJING: A new coronavirus, a mysterious SARS-like disease, has spread around China and to other countries since first emerging in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. A timeline of how the virus has spread: ALARM RAISED BY CHINA The World Health Organization (WHO) is alerted on Dec 31, 2019, by Chinese authorities of a string of pneumonia-like cases in Wuhan, a city of 11 million people. Patients are quarantined and work begins on identifying the origin of the pneumonia. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identifies a seafood market suspected to be at the centre of the outbreak. The market is closed on Jan 1, 2020. SINGAPORE STARTS SCREENINGS AT AIRPORT On Jan 2, Singapore's Ministry of Health (MOH) says it is aware of the pneumonia outbreak and is monitoring the situation closely. Temperature screening will be implemented for all travellers arriving at Changi Airport from Wuhan and suspected cases will be referred to hospitals for further assessment. NEW CORONAVIRUS On Jan 9, the WHO says that the outbreak in Wuhan was caused by a previously unknown type of coronavirus, which is a broad family ranging from the common cold to more serious illnesses like SARS. Fifty-nine people have been infected, of whom seven are in a serious condition, according to an official toll. FIRST DEATH Chinese health authorities say a first person has died of the virus on Jan 11. They revise downwards the number of sick people to 41. SPREADS BEYOND CHINA On Jan 13, the virus spreads beyond China's borders for the first time, with a case emerging in Thailand, according to the WHO. The victim is a Chinese woman diagnosed with mild pneumonia who was returning from a trip to Wuhan. On Jan 15, China's health commission says no human-to-human transmission of the virus behind the Wuhan outbreak has been confirmed so far, but the possibility "cannot be excluded". The next day a first case of the virus is confirmed in Japan in someone who had stayed in Wuhan in early January. US CONTROLS On Jan 17, a second person, a 69-year-old man, dies in Wuhan, according to authorities. The same day, the US CDC announces that it will begin screening passengers arriving from Wuhan at three airports: San Francisco, New York's JFK and Los Angeles. HUMAN-TO-HUMAN TRANSMISSION CONFIRMED On Jan 20, a third death and more than 100 new cases are announced in China, sparking concerns ahead of the annual Chinese New Year holiday which begins on Jan 25 and sees hundreds of millions of Chinese people travel nationwide. The virus is present in Beijing in the north, Shanghai in the east and Shenzhen in the south. More than 200 cases have been recorded. The virus is also detected in South Korea in a Chinese person who has arrived by plane from Wuhan. China's President Xi Jinping says that the virus must be "resolutely contained", in his first public comments on the outbreak. Human-to-human transmission is "affirmative", a top Chinese expert on infectious diseases Zhong Nanshan tells state broadcaster CCTV. COUNTRIES STEP UP AIRPORT SCREENINGS Singapore's MOH says on Jan 20 that temperature screening at Changi Airport will be extended to all travellers arriving from China. Individuals with pneumonia who had travelled to Wuhan within 14 days before the onset of symptoms will be isolated in hospital. On Jan 21, Australia announces it will begin screening passengers from some flights from China. DEATH TOLL AT 6, MEDICAL WORKERS ILL Wuhan's mayor tells state television that the death toll has risen to six. According to state media, the number of infected patients has spiked to 291, a jump of more than 70 cases from the previously reported 218 patients. It also confirms 15 medical workers in Wuhan have been diagnosed with pneumonia, with an additional worker suspected of having the disease. Separately, China's eastern Zhejiang provincial health authority says a total of five cases of new coronavirus were confirmed as of noon on Jan 21. VIRUS SPREADS BEYOND ASIA FOR THE FIRST TIME TO THE US On Jan 21, the CDC announces the US' first case of the virus. A US resident in his 30s who lives near Seattle approached authorities after reading about the SARS-like virus in news reports. The man entered the country on Jan 15 after travelling to Wuhan, two days before the US began deploying health officials at major airports to screen passengers arriving from that central Chinese city which is at the heart of the outbreak. The efforts are to be extended now to a total of five US airports. DEATH TOLL CLIMBS On Jan 22, an official from China's national health commission says the death toll as of Jan 21 is nine. There are a total of 440 confirmed cases across 13 provinces in China and more than 2,000 cases of close contact have also been detected. The commission's deputy head Li Bin tells reporters the coronavirus is transmitted via the respiratory tract and there is "the possibility of viral mutation and further spread of the disease". MORE CASES OUTSIDE CHINA Two new cases are reported in Thailand on Jan 22 - a Thai woman who visited Wuhan and a male Chinese tourist. Both are being treated in medical facilities outside Bangkok. Macau confirms its first case, a 52-year-old businesswoman from Wuhan who went to hospital on Jan 21. Local authorities announce temperature checks at entry points, with visitors required to fill in a health declaration form. Casinos have also been provided with portable screening devices and all casino staff are required to wear surgical masks. North Korea announces it will ban tourists in a bid to keep the virus out of the country. Singapore announces it has set up a ministerial task force to deal with the Wuhan virus. Health Minister Gan Kim Yong says an imported case reaching its shores is "inevitable". DEATH TOLL NEARLY DOUBLES State television reports on the night of Jan 22 that the death toll has risen to 17, with the number of confirmed cases in Hubei rising to 444 as of 8pm local time. ↡ Advertisement 6 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mockngbrd Supersonic January 22, 2020 Share January 22, 2020 Better not anyhow find prc 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carbon82 Moderator January 22, 2020 Author Share January 22, 2020 4 hours ago, Tohto said: For this I would said our garmen are doing a good job in doing a preparedness and prevention to get ready fight the virus. When time to give praise have to give, even though I don't like many others things they do. I fully agree. And this time round, they are also fully prepared, basing on the guidelines issued from various agencies so far. To those that have previously complained that there are no actions from our government, this is the best response. I will give them my as well. And hopefully all these efforts will reduce our risk and exposure to the minimum. Wuhan virus: How it could have jumped from animals to humans and other questions answered SINGAPORE - The Ministry of Health (MOH) announced on Wednesday (Jan 22) that it is setting up a multi-ministry task force to tackle the mysterious Wuhan virus that has already infected more than 400 people in China. Although it has yet to reach Singapore's shores, increased air travel in the lead-up to the Chinese New Year holidays has led to the ministry - as well as other agencies across the world - stepping up precautionary measures to either prevent entry of the disease or contain its spread. As of Wednesday afternoon, the Wuhan virus, a type of coronavirus which causes pneumonia in its victims, has claimed nine lives. But what is the virus and how did the Wuhan virus spread to people? Here are some questions and answers about the Wuhan coronavirus behind the latest outbreak. 1. WHAT IS A VIRUS? Viruses are microscopic parasites that lack the ability to survive and reproduce outside living organisms, which includes animal, humans and even bacteria. For this reason, it is debatable if they are truly "alive". They become active only when they come into contact with living cells, which they then try to hijack to produce more viruses. Even so, viruses are made of biological material and have the biggest population of any biological entity on earth, triggering responses in living things that range from unnoticeable reactions to death. Some experts believe that nearly 10 per cent of the current human genome is viral genetic material, as a result of viruses infecting human cells for millennia. 2. WHAT ARE CORONAVIRUSES? They belong to a large group of viruses that usually infect only animals, and are so named for the crown-like spikes on their surface. But from the mid-1960s, scientists began identifying coronaviruses that affect humans, with seven types of these viruses classified to date, according to the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Four of these typically cause mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract illnesses like the common cold, with well-known symptoms such as sore throats, cough, and headaches. But the remaining three have more recently caused severe repercussions on human health as scientists scrambled to understand them. The first is the infectious severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) coronavirus, which killed almost 800 people in 32 countries 17 years ago. The other two are the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (Mers-CoV), which was first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and later spread further, and the latest Wuhan virus (2019-nCov) which killed its first victims in the Chinese city of Wuhan. 3. HOW COULD THE WUHAN VIRUS SPREAD FROM ANIMALS TO HUMANS? Scientists have speculated that the virus from the latest Wuhan outbreak, like the Mers and Sars viruses that preceded it, evolved from coronavirus strains that previously affected only animals. This ability of a virus to "jump" from animals to humans is not unusual and has given rise to a category of illnesses called zoonotic diseases, which also counts among its ranks diseases caused by non-coronavirus viruses like the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Ebola. Zoonotic viruses generally have a single strand of genetic material called RNA, which is more easily copied or mutated than humans' double-stranded DNA, which accounts for their virality. To date, the Wuhan coronavirus has been closely linked to Huanan seafood market in Wuhan, which reportedly also peddled live animals like deer and animal parts in addition to seafood. Scientists have said such "unnatural situations", where animals are brought together and often housed in bad conditions in close proximity to people, create opportunities for viruses to hop between animals. The virus could then have changed so that it is able to infect humans and eventually start spreading between people. Every virus typically infects a certain type of living host organism, said Dr Sebastian Maurer-Stroh, deputy executive director of research at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research's (A*Star) Bioinformatics Institute. "Viruses can shift their host preference through mutations... Some viruses mutate much faster," he added. 4. HOW MIGHT THE WUHAN VIRUS SPREAD BETWEEN PEOPLE? The Wuhan coronavirus is understood to spread much like the common flu does - through the air when an infected person coughs, through close contact such as shaking hands with an infected person, or touching an object with the virus on it before touching one's mouth and eyes. For now, virologists have said that the Wuhan coronavirus - based on reported rates of infection - is likely not as infectious as the Sars virus. But there are concerns that the Wuhan virus' current reported 2 per cent death rate - two out of 100 infected people die - is not representative and that the virus could further mutate to become more lethal. Dr Michael Wong, a senior family physician at Raffles Medical, said the virulence of the Wuhan virus cannot be underestimated. “With mutations, the virus could increase in virulence and transmissibility, leading to a serious pandemic,” he said. The Chinese government has classified the Wuhan virus outbreak in the same category as the Sars epidemic, meaning compulsory isolation for those diagnosed with the illness and the potential to implement quarantine measures on travel, said Dr Wong. There are also worries that the number of infections is yet under-reported, with many brushing off symptoms as those of the common flu. 5. HOW IS THE WUHAN VIRUS DIFFERENT FROM THE SARS VIRUS? It is a different strain and, for now, has reported a lower fatality rate than the Sars virus. The World Health Organisation estimates that the overall fatality rate for Sars patients to be between 14 per cent and 15 per cent, while that for Wuhan is currently at 2 per cent. Researchers have said that the Wuhan virus shares only 76 per cent of its genetic material with the Sars virus - a big difference in genetic terms much like "comparing a dog and a cat". There is, however, speculation that both viruses originated from bats. 6. SHOULD I PANIC? No, said professor Paul Tambyah, from the department of medicine at NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. “I don’t think we should panic as panic is never a good approach.” Instead, we should be concerned. He said there are measures in place to control the outbreak here and elsewhere. The public should be concerned and thus be vigilant about maintaining good hand hygiene, seeking medical attention if unwell and staying home, he said. 7. SHOULD I WEAR A MASK? Wear a surgical mask when you have a cold or flu, to prevent the transmission of airborne germs. Some doctors have been wearing surgical masks as a precautionary measure at work, so some people have wondered if they should dig out their N95 masks too. But there is no need to, said professor Leo Yee Sin, the executive director of the National Centre for Infectious Diseases. Instead, people should wear surgical masks. “N95 masks are of a very special design. They are very difficult to breathe in. If you find the N95 mask easy to breathe in and comfortable, you are wearing it wrong and it’s no use,” she said. “It’s only when it is difficult to breathe that you are wearing it correctly.” It is thus not recommended for the general public, she said. In fact, if you use it wrongly, it may make things worse because you think you are protected when you are not, she said. Dr Leong Hoe Nam, an infectious disease specialist at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital said that everyone with respiratory symptoms must wear masks, now that there’s human to human transmission. 8. CAN I STILL VISIT CHINA? The MOH advises travellers to avoid non-essential travel to Wuhan. It also reminds the public to continue to exercise caution and pay attention to personal hygiene when travelling to the rest of China. The MOH said that all travellers should monitor their health closely for two weeks upon return to Singapore and seek medical attention promptly if they feel unwell, and also inform their doctor of their travel history. If they have a fever or respiratory symptoms like a cough or runny nose, they should wear a mask and call the clinic ahead of the visit. 9. SHOULD I BE WORRIED ABOUT CHINA TOURISTS COMING INTO SINGAPORE? Singapore is stepping up precautionary measures, in anticipation of more travellers in the lead-up to the Chinese New Year holidays. The expanded measures include temperature screening for all travellers arriving from China – not just Wuhan alone – at Changi Airport from Wednesday and issuing health advisory notices to them. “However, people who are in the incubation period – likely seven to 14 days based on known characteristics of other corona viruses – might not have started showing symptoms such as a fever, and, hence, not be detected by the thermal scanners,” said Raffles Medical’s Dr Wong. “With increased awareness of the infection, it is hoped that those who experience symptoms would isolate themselves and see a doctor as soon as possible so as to prevent spreading the infection.” 10. Is there a cure for the Wuhan virus infection? There is no specific treatment to cure illnesses caused by human coronaviruses, including pneumonia caused by the Wuhan virus. Patients typically recover on their own after some time by depending on their immune system to fight the infection. Treatment mostly involves tackling flu-like symptoms from infections and making patients more comfortable, such as providing them with breathing apparatus to help with breathing difficulties. In some cases, antiviral drugs are available to shorten the duration or reduce the severity of the illness by decreasing the ability of the coronavirus to reproduce, effectively isolating it. A*Star's Dr Maurer-Stroh said that "as a rule of thumb, a virus that spreads widely is often less severe". 11. SHOULD I GET A FLU JAB? A flu vaccine will not help protect you against the Wuhan coronavirus. There is no vaccine to protect against coronaviruses. However, according to an advisory from Raffles Medical, you should still get a flu jab if you are travelling to exposed areas to prevent you from contracting influenza symptoms and signs that may mislead screening authorities at temperature checkpoints. 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lala81 Hypersonic January 22, 2020 Share January 22, 2020 Wow. Wuhan shutting all public transport even within the city. That's like incredible. Is the army going to move in and help maintain public order? On the other hand, mathematical modeling suggest around 4000 cases within the city. I saw this on the BBC and thought you should see it: Coronavirus: Wuhan to shut public transport over outbreak - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-51215348 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wind30 Turbocharged January 22, 2020 Share January 22, 2020 8 hours ago, BabyBlade said: Take precaution! I still have a Bali and Taiwan trip coming up. Bad time for air travel. Flying to Bali... got a bit of cough... dunno if they will quarantine me.... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BabyBlade Internal Moderator January 23, 2020 Share January 23, 2020 1 hour ago, Wind30 said: Flying to Bali... got a bit of cough... dunno if they will quarantine me.... Which part of Bali are you going? Well stay safe there. Too touristy. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BabyBlade Internal Moderator January 23, 2020 Share January 23, 2020 Anyway for China to shutdown a city of 11 million I would say its commendable. Outbound cars will also be screened to prevent those with symptoms from leaving. Residents must be scared stiff and rushing to leave the city. Reminds me of the movie I am Legend. Will Smith's flashback of the city going on lockdown. Waiting for WHO to declare this as a Public Health Emergency. We need to restrict travel and trade before CNY kicks in. The mass migration has already started. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wind30 Turbocharged January 23, 2020 Share January 23, 2020 22 minutes ago, BabyBlade said: Which part of Bali are you going? Well stay safe there. Too touristy. Kuta beach area... got cough running nose, no fever.... If I have fever I will not go, else quarantine in Bali lagi worse. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mersaylee Supersonic January 23, 2020 Share January 23, 2020 best to stay home play chor dai dee drink beer watch netflix this LNY. I better go buy some bak kwa.... 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Playtime Twincharged January 23, 2020 Share January 23, 2020 24 minutes ago, BabyBlade said: Anyway for China to shutdown a city of 11 million I would say its commendable. Outbound cars will also be screened to prevent those with symptoms from leaving. Residents must be scared stiff and rushing to leave the city. Reminds me of the movie I am Legend. Will Smith's flashback of the city going on lockdown. Waiting for WHO to declare this an a Public Health Emergency. We need to restrict travel and trade before CNY kicks in. The mass migration has already started. Mental image of people arguing, tempers, fights, crash through... PLA come.. 😱 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
13177 Supersonic January 23, 2020 Share January 23, 2020 10 hours ago, BabyBlade said: Take precaution! I still have a Bali and Taiwan trip coming up. Bad time for air travel. Indeed bad time for air travel. Luckily i havent make any travel plan at all. Lol. Will wait until the situation stable then say. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Windwaver Turbocharged January 23, 2020 Share January 23, 2020 8 minutes ago, mersaylee said: best to stay home play chor dai dee drink beer watch netflix this LNY. I better go buy some bak kwa.... Yeah, better don't go visiting also in case some sexy cousins cough and sniff in front of you Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
13177 Supersonic January 23, 2020 Share January 23, 2020 2 hours ago, Wind30 said: Flying to Bali... got a bit of cough... dunno if they will quarantine me.... Everyone is coughing now. And coughing is very common even there is no wuhan coronavirus outbreak. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
13177 Supersonic January 23, 2020 Share January 23, 2020 23 minutes ago, Wind30 said: Kuta beach area... got cough running nose, no fever.... If I have fever I will not go, else quarantine in Bali lagi worse. Maybe fever never set in yet? Anyway, just be extra careful, take medicine and rest well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueray Hypersonic January 23, 2020 Share January 23, 2020 (edited) Wuhan virus: SIA, Scoot step up precautionary measures for all China flights https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/wuhan-virus-flights-singapore-airlines-sia-scoot-china-12303148 Cathay Pacific to allow cabin crew to wear masks on mainland China flights due to virus https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/cathay-cabin-crew-ask-wear-face-masks-flights-china-virus-wuhan-12299388 Edited January 23, 2020 by Blueray 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atrecord Supersonic January 23, 2020 Share January 23, 2020 Also dunno whether the lessons - and memory/fear - of SARS is a good or bad thing. On the one hand, it increased vigilance and awareness among people of how serious/deadly an outbreak could be, so it is not to be taken lightly. For China to make a decision to lockdown a big city like Wuhan, is probably a world first. Who else would dare to do such a thing? Given the protests seen in HK, let's hope Wuhan people will not react badly and violently to the decision. Now on the other hand, there will be questions asked of whether is there an over-reaction to a situation that isn't as serious - or deadly - as SARS yet. Since SARS, there were a few high-profile disease outbreaks that were somewhat localised (fortunately) eventually, instead of spreading and becoming another global epidemic as initially feared. That included MERS, Ebola (again), and those bird/swine flu. In any case, let's hope the relevant authorities/experts can deal with this effectively and efficiently so that we can all live in peace and good health again soon. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
inlinesix Supersonic January 23, 2020 Share January 23, 2020 12 hours ago, PSP415 said: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/on-the-menu-at-china-virus-market-rats-and-live-wolf-pups?cx_testId=20&cx_testVariant=cx_1&cx_artPos=2#cxrecs_s Exotic menu https://www.hk01.com/即時中國/424446/武漢肺炎-病毒疑來自野味-華南海鮮市場被揭曾售活孔雀梅花鹿 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sosaria Turbocharged January 23, 2020 Share January 23, 2020 9 hours ago, Mockngbrd said: Better not anyhow find prc If have prc relatives by marriage, still must visit during lunar new year, no? Decent prc is ok, I suppose! ↡ Advertisement Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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