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Chinese man dies from Wuhan pneumonia
China has reported the first death from a dangerous pneumonia outbreak in the city of Wuhan in Hubei province, and hundreds are under observation.
The infected man died on Thursday night. China reported it Saturday. Sri Lanka is on alert.
Forty one people are suffering from the virus in Wuhan.
Seven are critical in hospital, and 739 infected people, including 419 health care workers, are under observation. The number being watched has soared from 121 since last Sunday.
On Thursday, January 9, the World Health Organisation, citing Chinese heath authorities, said the disease is caused by a new coronavirus. The source is not known.
The SARS virus that caused hundreds of deaths in 2003 also emerged also from China, and was later identified as a new coronavirus. It spread to 37 countries.
There was no information Saturday on the Wuhan death from the WHO on its ‘disease outbreak news’ section of its website. The last update was on Sunday, January 5.
“Chinese investigators conducted gene sequencing of the virus, using an isolate from one positive patient sample,’’ the WHO said then. The WHO praised China for the lab work.
The WHO Western Pacific Office did not have updates, yesterday. Not even on Twitter.
The Sunday Times tried to reach Dr Razia Pendse the representative of WHO Sri Lanka yesterday, but no one was available.
Chinese health authorities insist there is no human-to-human transmission. State media says the outbreak is under control.
But Hong Kong and regional countries are not taking chances. Taiwan officials are boarding flights to check for symptoms before allowing disembarkation for Chinese passengers.
Yesterday, citing the Wuhan Health Commission, China’s CGTN, the global network of the state broadcaster, China Central Television, reported in English at 8:09am that a death has occurred. No details were given.
Two hours later, the state media agency, Xinhua, reported: “One patient with viral pneumonia has been confirmed dead in Wuhan, capital of central China’s Hubei province, and seven others were in critical condition, local health authorities said.’’ The Sunday Times contacted the Presidential Secretariat’s Duty Officer, Nilanga Fernando, who took notes patiently, and when contacted a second time said the Colombo airport and other ports have been informed immediately.
At Katunayake, an Airport Health Office physician said they would await guidance from the Health Ministry and the WHO.
In Hong Kong, the South China Morning Post reported online that the dead person is a 61-year-old man.
The man was a regular visitor to a Wuhan wet market that sold wild animals such as marmots, organs of rabbits, turtles, pheasants, and snakes. The market, now shut, is seen as the prime source in the disease outbreak.
The man also suffered from abdominal “tumours” and chronic liver disease, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission said, the SCMP reported. The first infection in Wuhan was detected on December 12.
Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection, says “available epidemiological information is not sufficient at this stage to reach a conclusion.’’