First Case of Coronavirus Confirmed Outside of China

A new virus, thought to be in the same family as SARS, has been confirmed outside of China for the first time, according to IFLScience.com.

Coronavirus usually causes mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract illnesses, like the common cold. Symptoms may include runny nose, headache, cough, sore throat, fever, and a general feeling of being unwell and may occasionally cause lower-respiratory tract illnesses like pneumonia and bronchitis. Two specific forms of coronaviruses, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV) frequently produce more severe symptoms with 3 or 4 out of every 10 patients reported with MERS having died.

41 people in the city of Wuhan, China have been diagnosed with this virus, with one death reported in January. The 61-year-old male tested positive for the new coronavirus, and was treated for respiratory failure and severe pneumonia before dying.  Now, however, the first case outside of China has been reported in Thailand.

“The possibility of cases being identified in other countries was not unexpected, and reinforces why WHO calls for on-going active monitoring and preparedness in other countries,” the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement. 

The WHO has issued guidance on how to detect and treat persons who have contracted this “novel coronavirus”, including advising the public to wash their hands regularly, cover their mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs, and avoiding close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness.