Saturday 1 February 2020

The Wuhan coronavirus has killed more than 304 people and infected nearly 14,400. Here's everything we know about the outbreak.

Wuhan virus China Beijing railway stationKevin Frayer/Getty Images

The death toll of a coronavirus outbreak sweeping China has reached at least 304, with 14,380 people infected as of late Saturday.

Cases have spread to every province and region in China as well at least 24 other countries. The total number of cases has surpassed the global case count recorded during the 2003 SARS outbreak.

The virus might have jumped from animals to people at a market in the city of Wuhan. Outside of China, cases have been reported in Australia, Cambodia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, the UK, the US, and Vietnam.

Seven US cases have been reported so far: a man in his 30s in Washington state, a husband and wife in Chicago (the man caught it from his spouse), three people in California, one in Arizona.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said last week that the virus was spreading quickly and posed a "grave threat," and the World Health Organization declared a public-health emergency on Thursday.

Here's everything we know:

The first case of the coronavirus was reported in Wuhan in December. The central Chinese city has a population of 11 million.

Ruobing Su/Business Insider

The virus' pneumonia-like symptoms include fever and difficulty breathing.

Samantha Lee/Business Insider

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a person could be at risk if they have:

  • Fever and symptoms of lower respiratory illness, such as coughing or difficulty breathing, after traveling to Wuhan or having close contact with someone who was ill and is now under investigation for the virus in the past two weeks.
  • Fever or symptoms of lower respiratory illness after having close contact in the past two weeks with someone who's been confirmed to have the virus.

Chinese health officials say the incubation period for the virus ranges from 1 to 14 days, during which time carriers can be infectious. 



The virus has killed at least 259 people.

Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images

"The people who are likely to die first will have other illnesses," Adrian Hyzler, the chief medical officer at Healix International, which offers risk-management solutions for global travelers, told Business Insider. "But as it spreads, it'll pick up more people like flu does."

Most patients who died were elderly or otherwise unwell, according to Chinese officials. But one recent victim was a 36-year-old man.




See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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