Elderly tourist from China is first recorded case of Wuhan virus outside the country

Bangkok — An elderly tourist from China has become the first recorded case of a person outside the country being diagnosed with the pneumonia-like Wuhan virus.

The 61-year-old woman had arrived in Bangkok on Jan 8, on a flight from Hubei province in China.

She reportedly had symptoms of the pneumonia-like disease and was quarantined.

According to a report on Tuesday (Jan 14) in the South China Morning Post, the woman did not visit the suspected origin of the new virus at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan.

She did, however, visit other markets in the region before she travelled to Thailand.

The World Health Organization stated on Tuesday (Jan 14) that, considering the case in Bangkok, it might be possible that the virus has “limited human-to-human transmission“.

Scientists researching the new virus have released its genome sequence and stated that the new strain, while a distant relative of the SARS virus, was “unlikely to cause a widespread, deadly epidemic”.

However, the new virus can reportedly cause “more damage” among older people or persons with underlying medical conditions or pre-existing illnesses.

Hong Kong’s National Health Commission officials, in cooperation with health experts from Taiwan and Macau, visited the site in Wuhan in order to “understand how the mainland authorities have been handling the disease”, according to Chief Executive Carrie Lam. /TISG

WHO: No travel restriction to China despite first death caused by Wuhan pneumonia outbreak