Thai authorities on Monday confirmed that a visitor from Wuhan, China, has been infected with a new coronavirus, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday, adding that the possibility of human-to-human transmission cannot yet be ruled out.
Chinese health officials in the middle of last month reported a pneumonia outbreak linked to Huanan Seafood City market in Wuhan. The WHO on Monday named the virus novel coronavirus 2019 (2019-nCoV).
The visitor is a 61-year-old woman, who was found to have a fever upon her arrival in Thailand on Wednesday last week and quarantined, CDC Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said, adding that test results on Sunday showed that she was infected with 2019-nCoV.
Photo: Lin Hui-chin, Taipei Times
Her respiratory symptoms and fever have since improved, and she is likely to be discharged from hospital in a few days, he said.
Sixteen airline passengers who had come into direct contact with the woman showed negative results when screened for 2019-nCoV, he added.
The woman had not visited the seafood market, which Wuhan officials closed on Jan. 1, but she had been to other markets, so the possibility of human-to-human transmission cannot be ruled out, Chuang said, adding that she also might have been infected by animals.
As of Sunday, Wuhan authorities had reported 41 confirmed cases of 2019-nCoV infection, six of whom were in a critical condition, and one death, he said, adding that there is no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission.
CDC Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) on Monday said that the WHO did not name the virus after Wuhan or China, as previous practices of naming diseases after places, such as the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, were protested by the affected countries.
Seasonal flu, pneumonia and respiratory disease cases usually peak in the winter, the CDC said, urging people who plan to visit Wuhan or nearby areas to wash their hands frequently with soap, wear a surgical mask when visiting livestock markets or crowded public spaces, and avoid direct contact with wild animals.
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
The Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau audited six hotels in an effort to prevent price gouging ahead of Korean band BTS’ concert tour in the city scheduled for Nov. 19, 21 and 22 this year. The bureau on Friday said that the audits — conducted in response to allegations of unfair pricing posted on social media — found no wrongdoing. These establishments included the local branches of Chateau de Chine, Hotel Nikko, My Humble House, and Grand Hai Lai, it said, adding that the Consumer Protection Commission would have penalized price gougers had the accusations been substantiated. The bureau said the Tourism Development Act
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said a magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck off the coast of eastern Taiwan yesterday was an independent event and part of a stress-adjustment process. The earthquake occurred at 4:47pm, with its epicenter at sea about 45.4km south of Yilan County Hall at a depth of 5.9km, the CWA said. The quake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in several townships in Yilan and neighboring Hualien County, where it measured 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the CWA said. Lin Po-yu (林柏佑), a division chief at the CWA's Seismological Center, told a news conference
RSS