China coronavirus 27-01-2019

The head of the World Health Organisation will hold a special meeting with officials in Beijing on Monday to discuss how to contain the coronavirus that has killed 80 people and left more than 400 in a critical condition.

Scientists concluded it “appears possible” the virus can be spread before the carrier notices any symptoms, making an outbreak more challenging to contain.

It came after six family members who arrived at a hospital in Hong Kong with unexplained pneumonia.

A total of 17 cities are now under lockdown, with several areas also banning long-distance bus services, including Beijing, Shanghai and the eastern province of Shandong.

Across the country, around 50 million people are now living in areas that have been placed under lockdown. This includes Wuhan, where the outbreak originated, and where most private cars are banned, trains and flights suspended.

The disease has already spread to more than 10 countries abroad, with new cases continuing to emerge. Both Australia and US recently confirmed their fifth cases . In total, across China and elsewhere, more than 2,700 cases have been recorded.

Announcing his visit to Beijing on Sunday, Tedros said that the organisation was working 24 hours a day to support China’s response to the virus, adding: “My WHO colleagues and I would like to understand the latest developments and strengthen our partnership with China in providing further protection against the outbreak.”

A nurse from the Central Hospital of Wuhan tells CNN at least a dozen medical staff from the facility are infected with the Wuhan coronavirus.

“Some are being given emergency treatment. Those who have milder symptoms have been sent home with medication,” the nurse, who spoke on the condition of anonymity told CNN Sunday.

The nurse said she has also contracted the virus and that her symptoms were relatively mild. She was discharged and told to isolate herself while recuperating at home. The nurse said she is more than happy to be out of the hospital where she believes the virus is endemic.

Chinese officials have called on anyone who was in Wuhan in the last 14 days to self-quarantine and report to community leaders in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, according to an expert speaking at the Chinese National Health Commission press conference on Monday.

There are no official figures on the number of people who have visited, or passed through the city since the outbreak was first identified in mid-December.

However, the number is likely to be large. Wuhan, which is home to an estimated 11 million people, is one of China's most important cities.

The most powerful measures may be public education about the best ways to avoid infection, such as avoiding physical contact with people known to be infected, and to minimize spread from unidentified infections, wearing masks and hand hygiene. China is taking these measures, with public health information broadcast through multiple means, from state-run television to the village loudspeakers that usually blare propaganda. These steps can protect everyone, including families as they care for members who come down with typical flulike symptoms and may not seem to require more intensive treatment for several days. A more targeted approach can also ensure that medical facilities can focus on the people who really need intensive care rather than the far greater numbers who may simply have a fever but are kept in effective detention until laboratory tests can clear them.