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

The World Health Organization stated that the pneumonia outbreak which originated in Wuhan, China has not spread to anywhere else in the country or around the world.

One elderly man (61) is the first casualty from the mysterious infection that was traced to a seafood market in Wuhan city. The man reportedly suffered from an underlying liver disease, but his death was caused by “respiratory failure and severe pneumonia.”

He died on Thursday (Jan 9) as reported by Channel News Asia.

Forty other people have been infected of which seven remain in critical condition. The Wuhan Municipal Health Commission continues to monitor 717 individuals who have been in close contact with the infected patients.

No new cases of the mysterious pneumonia outbreak has been reported since Saturday.

Many of the people who got infected were either workers or frequent visitors to the Wuhan Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, the WHO said.

China previously reported that the new coronavirus in Wuhan may be linked to the SARS or MERS epidemics. Coronaviruses have symptoms ranging from less severe like the common cold to more deadly like SARS or MERS.

“At this stage, there is no infection among healthcare workers, and no clear evidence of human to human transmission,” the WHO stated as quoted in a report by Reuters.

The seafood market has been shut since last Jan 1. Workers wearing hazmat suits were seen spraying the seafood market floors.

Despite the increased travel anticipated during the upcoming Chinese New Year festivities, the WHO still does not recommend travel or trade restrictions in China. -/TISG

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