China confirms human-to-human transmission of Wuhan virus as WHO announces emergency meet
BEIJING: A SARS-like virus that has spread across China and reached three other Asian nations is contagious between humans, a government expert said, and the World Health Organisation announced that a key emergency committee would meet this week to discuss the infections.
The news came as Wuhan health authorities reported on Tuesday (Jan 21) that a fourth person had died from the coronavirus.
The new coronavirus strain, first discovered in the central city of Wuhan, has caused alarm because of its connection to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which killed nearly 650 people across mainland China and Hong Kong in 2002-2003.
The total number of people diagnosed with the new virus has risen to 218.
Beijing and Shanghai confirmed their first cases on Monday while more than a dozen more emerged in southern Guangdong province and 136 new ones were found over the weekend in Wuhan, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
Source: CNA ASIA
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