Leading Chinese doctor investigating killer coronavirus outbreak admits he has caught the SARS-like infection as furious families accuse hospitals of not testing patients with tell-tale symptoms

  • Wang Guangfa was part of a team investigating how the virus emerged in Wuhan 
  • 'I was diagnosed and my condition is fine', he told Kong's Cable TV today
  • Dr Guangfa did not give details on how he may have been infected
  • Furious families in China have today accused hospitals of not testing patients
  • Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19

A leading Chinese doctor investigating the killer coronavirus has admitted he has caught the SARS-like infection.

Wang Guangfa, who heads the department of pulmonary medicine at Beijing's Peking University First Hospital, was part of a team of experts that earlier this month visited Wuhan, where the virus first emerged.

'I was diagnosed and my condition is fine,' Dr Wang told Kong's Cable TV. He said he is receiving treatment and will have an ‘injection’ soon.

Dr Guangfa is one of the national experts that previously said the pneumonia-causing virus, which has never been seen before, was under control.

And in a further twist in the outbreak, furious families in China have today accused hospitals of not testing patients with tell-tale symptoms.

Cases have cropped up across Asia, including in South Korea, Thailand, Japan and Taiwan, with officials yesterday confirming the virus has spread between humans.

And in a further twist in the outbreak, furious families in China have today accused hospitals of not testing patients with tell-tale symptoms.

Wang Guangfa has been infected with the new virus in China after being part of a team of doctors investigating it in Wuhan, where the virus emerged

Wang Guangfa has been infected with the new virus in China after being part of a team of doctors investigating it in Wuhan, where the virus emerged

Dr Guangfa heads the department of pulmonary medicine at Beijing's Peking University First Hospital (pictured)

Dr Guangfa heads the department of pulmonary medicine at Beijing's Peking University First Hospital (pictured)

A total of 325 people are confirmed to have caught the illness, with another 54 cases suspected and more than 900 people under observation (Pictured: The most recently available breakdown of where cases have been diagnosed)

Workers at Almaty International Airport in Kazakhstan are using thermal scanners to detect travellers from China who may have symptoms of the coronavirus sweeping Asia

Workers at Almaty International Airport in Kazakhstan are using thermal scanners to detect travellers from China who may have symptoms of the coronavirus sweeping Asia

Malaysian officials use thermal imaging scanners and cameras to check passengers for fevers upon their arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport

Malaysian officials use thermal imaging scanners and cameras to check passengers for fevers upon their arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport

People wearing face masks at a metro station in Taipei, Taiwan. Taiwan recorded its first case of the coronavirus this morning

People wearing face masks at a metro station in Taipei, Taiwan. Taiwan recorded its first case of the coronavirus this morning

MailOnline can also reveal: 

  • A total of 325 people have caught the virus across Asia, including 20 healthcare workers
  • Cases have risen six-fold in the space of a few days, with just 48 confirmed cases on January 17 
  • Australia and the Philippines are investigating suspected cases of the coronavirus, which causes a fever and can cause pneumonia 
  • North Korea has temporarily banned all tourists from entering the country over fears the Chinese coronavirus will spread
  • South Korean budget airline T’way Air has postponed the launch of its cheap flights to Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak
  • Experts from the country's National Health Commission have urged Wuhan's 11 million residents not to leave the city
  • The World Health Organisation will hold an emergency meeting tomorrow to discuss the outbreak
  • Public health officials in the UK have instructed NHS hospitals on how to deal with cases amid fears the virus will spread
  • The US National Institutes of Health is working on a vaccine against the virus – but it will be months before it can be tested on humans
  • A leading virologist admitted he was scared the virus will spread over the Lunar New Year holidays, with millions of Chinese residents set to travel
  • Another renowned scientist described the coronavirus as being 'one of the newest and biggest global health threats'
  • Countries such as Russia, Kazakhstan and Malaysia have upped their screening methods to detect travellers with a fever in airports
  • Shocking footage captured medics wearing hazmat suits screening Air China passengers for the virus before letting them leave
  • Residents in various Chinese cities are queuing to buy face masks as vendors sell the medical products for 10 times more than normal

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THIS OUTBREAK SO FAR? 

A total of 322 people are confirmed to have caught the unnamed coronavirus, which has never been seen before. Six patients have died.

Most of the cases have occurred in Wuhan, a city in Hubei province home to 11million people. But patients have been diagnosed across China, including in Beijing and Shanghai.

The coronavirus, which is from the same family as SARS, has also spread to South Korea, Thailand, Japan and Taiwan.

Chinese officials yesterday confirmed the virus has spread between humans, suggesting it can be passed through coughs and sneezes.

The outbreak is believed to have started late last month among people connected to a seafood market in Wuhan, which has since been shut.

China is entering its busiest travel period due to the Lunar New Year, which sees many people travelling back to their home town or village.

Virologists fear the increased travel that will happen over the holidays will cause a surge in cases.

So where have cases been recorded?

IN CHINA

Hubei province, 270 cases, 6 deaths

Guangdong province, 17 cases

Chongqing province, 5 cases 

Zhejiang province, 5 cases

Henan province, 1 case

Hunan province, 1 case

Yunnan province, 1 case 

Sichuan province, 1 case 

Shandong province, 1 case 

Shanghai, 6 cases

Beijing, 10 cases

Tianjin, 2 cases 

--- 

ABROAD

Thailand, 2 cases

South Korea, 1 case

Japan, 1 case

Taiwan, 1 case

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Dr Guangfa, who conducted research on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003, did not give details on how he may have been infected.

He added that he was receiving treatment, although it is not clear how the new virus is halted in patients. Dr Wang said he will have an 'injection' soon. 

'I don't want everyone to put too much attention on my condition,' he told the channel.

Dr Guangfa told state media on January 10 that the outbreak appeared to be under control, with most patients showing mild symptoms and some having been discharged.

He could not be reached by Reuters today. 

The outbreak is believed to have started late last month among people connected to a seafood market in Wuhan, where all six fatalities have happened.

State media reported on a fourth victim this morning – an 89-year-old man who lived in Wuhan.

The mayor of the city later revealed there had been two more deaths – a 66-year-old man, known only as Li, and a 48-year-old woman, known only as Yin. Both died from multiple organ failure.

But families of sicked loved who have died of mystery respiratory diseases in recent weeks believe the true number of cases and deaths is far higher, The Guardian reports.

On the microblog Weibo, Wuhan residents have shared stories of family members who had shown symptoms of the virus, but not been tested for it at hospital.

One posted images of her mother’s diagnosis of viral pneumonia and described long queues of patients with similar symptoms late on Monday night, none of whom appeared to have been tested for coronavirus. 

'Could all these people suddenly have viral pneumonia?' she said. 

Professor Zhong Nanshan, leader of the National Health Commission's expert team, revealed the virus is likely to be spread by saliva in a press conference today.

He told the meeting: 'As of now, it is affirmative that the new strain of coronavirus can be passed between humans. 

'The virus is spread through respiratory system and distance of impact is not long, but it is possible that the virus was passed after being stuck to saliva.'

Passengers leaving for Wuhan, waiting at the Leonardo Da Vinci airport in Fiumicino, Rome

Passengers leaving for Wuhan, waiting at the Leonardo Da Vinci airport in Fiumicino, Rome

Malaysia is one of many countries that have stepped up their passenger screening, with airport workers screening travellers for symptoms of the virus

Malaysia is one of many countries that have stepped up their passenger screening, with airport workers screening travellers for symptoms of the virus

Pictured: A close-up of travellers on the thermal imaging camera at Kuala Lumpur International Airport

Pictured: A close-up of travellers on the thermal imaging camera at Kuala Lumpur International Airport

South Korean cleaners prepare to disinfect the facilities at the customs, immigration and quarantine area at Incheon International Airport

South Korean cleaners prepare to disinfect the facilities at the customs, immigration and quarantine area at Incheon International Airport

Officials at Taiwan's Center for Disease Control use thermal scanners to screen passengers arriving on a flight from China's Wuhan province

Officials at Taiwan's Center for Disease Control use thermal scanners to screen passengers arriving on a flight from China's Wuhan province

KILLER CHINESE CORONAVIRUS 'MAY BE PASSED THROUGH SALIVA'

The deadly Chinese coronavirus that has sickened more than 300 people could be passed through saliva, officials today suggested.

China’s National Health Commission yesterday confirmed that the never-before-seen SARS-like coronavirus had spread between humans.

And now the body has revealed the unnamed infection is spread from the lungs and may travel in saliva – such as through coughs. 

Professor Zhong Nanshan, leader of the National Health Commission's expert team, revealed the virus is likely to be spread by saliva in a press conference today.

He told the meeting: 'As of now, it is affirmative that the new strain of coronavirus can be passed between humans. 

'The virus is spread through respiratory system and distance of impact is not long, but it is possible that the virus was passed after being stuck to saliva.'

Professor Zhong said officials must 'quarantine the patients and stop them from contacting others'. Antibiotics will not tackle the virus because the drugs only work on bacterial infections.

And he added that the outbreak will not spread like SARS, so long as patients are quarantined immediately and their contacts are traced.  

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Professor Zhong said officials must 'quarantine the patients and stop them from contacting others'. Antibiotics will not tackle the virus because the drugs only work on bacterial infections.

And he added that the outbreak will not spread like SARS, so long as patients are quarantined immediately and their contacts are traced.   

A leading expert told MailOnline the new Chinese coronavirus may have been lurking in animals for decades.

Sir Jeremy Farrar, a renowned specialist in infectious disease epidemics, said the virus isn't new but has likely adapted to infect humans.  

Experts from the country's National Health Commission this morning urged Wuhan's residents not to leave the city. 

Zhou Xianwang said there has been a total of 258 cases in Wuhan. Twelve cases have been recorded elsewhere in Hubei province, where Wuhan is the capital. Officials in the Chinese city have said they will pay for all medical costs for patients infected with the virus.

Other cases have been confirmed today in Tianjin – a port city just outside of Beijing, as well as in a host of other provinces.

In a statement issued this afternoon, Hubei Province announced five new cases among healthcare workers, including one doctor and four nurses. 

Taiwanese media this morning confirmed a case of the coronavirus. The unnamed woman, in her fifties, worked in Wuhan and had returned to Taiwan, CNA reports. 

And North Korea has temporarily banned all tourists from entering the country over fears the Chinese coronavirus will spread, according to reports this afternoon.

A child wears a facemask at Daxing international airport in Beijing as he heads home for the Lunar New Year

A child wears a facemask at Daxing international airport in Beijing as he heads home for the Lunar New Year

Two foreign tour operators revealed officials in the Hermit Kingdom told them borders will close tomorrow until the outbreak is 'well under control'.

A South Korean budget airline has also announced it will postpone the launch of its cheap flights to Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak.

HAS THE CORONAVIRUS SPREAD TO AUSTRALIA AND THE PHILIPPINES? 

Australian officials today announced a traveller had been placed in quarantine with symptoms of the virus after returning home from a trip to China.

The man is being kept at his home in Brisbane as he awaits test results for the virus. Earlier tests were inconclusive, Queensland health chiefs said.

It is understood the man arrived in Australia via Sydney International Airport.

He had been visiting family in China's Wuhan province, which is the epicentre of the coronavirus, the Courier Mail reported.

Coronaviruses are a large family of pathogens, most of which cause mild respiratory infections such as the common cold

Coronaviruses are a large family of pathogens, most of which cause mild respiratory infections such as the common cold

The suspected case prompted Prime Minister Scott Morrison to warn Australians travelling to China to 'exercise a high degree of caution' in China’s Wuhan area. 

The Philippines also announced today that it was investigating its first potential case of the coronavirus.

A five-year-old child arrived in the country on January 12 from Wuhan and has since been hospitalised with flu symptoms.

While the child tested positive for a virus, authorities in Manila said they were not sure if it was the same one that has killed six people in China.

'The child is considered a person under investigation,' Philippine health secretary Francisco Duque told a press briefing in Manila.

Samples from the child were sent to a laboratory in Australia for further testing and authorities are awaiting the results.

The child had a fever, throat irritation and a cough before arriving in the central city of Cebu with a parent, the health department said.

Three other travellers from China were checked by authorities at another airport, but they did not show symptoms that corresponded with the coronavirus. 

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T’way Air said the decision was 'inevitable' given the spiralling number of cases, with 325 people across Asia now confirmed to have the virus.  

Reports also state face masks are flying off the shelves across China as the country's citizens prepare themselves for the potential spread of the outbreak, which has already swept the nation.

Pictures and videos circulating on the country's social media show residents in various cities queuing to stock up on the medical products. 

Professor John Oxford, a virologist at Queen Mary College, admitted he was 'quaking in my shoes' over the potential spread of the virus that could happen over the Chinese New Year.

He told LBC: 'None of us have faced a new virus faced with so many people in a community travelling around. 

'That's what's going to happen in China at the end of the week. Once they are close together in taxis or small rooms, then there may be a problem.'  

And Professor Oxford added: 'The only way to stop it is physical cleaning and social distance - keeping away from people.'  

Locals have made more than four million trips by train, road and air since January 10 in the annual travel rush for the most important holiday in the country.

The transport peak season will last until February 18 and see three billion trips made within China, according to official statistics.

The US National Institutes of Health is working on a vaccine against the virus, according to reports. But it added that it would be months before a potential jab could be trialled on humans.

Dr Peter Hotez, a vaccine scientist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, said a team of scientists in Texas, New York and China, told CNN that scientists are working on a vaccine.

He said: 'The lesson we've learned is coronavirus infections are serious and one of the newest and biggest global health threats.'

Australian officials today announced a traveller had been placed in quarantine with symptoms of the virus after returning home from a trip to China.

The man is being kept at his home in Brisbane as he awaits test results for the virus. Earlier tests were inconclusive, Queensland health chiefs said.

The suspected case prompted Prime Minister Scott Morrison to warn Australians travelling to China to 'exercise a high degree of caution' in China’s Wuhan area. 

The authorities in Wuhan are taking their own precautions and are using infrared thermometers to scan people from a distance to try and pick out possible cases.

Scanners have been put in place at airports, railway stations and coach stops around the city. 

Mr Farrar said: 'It’s a seafood market but it also had animals being sold, from domestic chickens and ducks to all sorts of other animals'

The outbreak is believed to have started late last month among people connected to a seafood market in Wuhan, where all six fatalities have happened

Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market was shut for tests since January 1. Sir Jeremy said animal markets like this are a 'real source of infection'

Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market was shut for tests since January 1. Sir Jeremy said animal markets like this are a 'real source of infection'

Chinese quarantine workers wearing protective suits and masks are posted at an entrance to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan

Chinese quarantine workers wearing protective suits and masks are posted at an entrance to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan

Medics have also been filmed reportedly scanning people's heads to take their temperatures on-board a flight leaving Wuhan on Monday.

The Philippines also announced today that it was investigating its first potential case of the coronavirus.

A five-year-old child arrived in the country on January 12 from Wuhan and has since been hospitalised with flu symptoms.

While the child tested positive for a virus, authorities in Manila said they were not sure if it was the same one that has killed six people in China.

'The child is considered a person under investigation,' Philippine health secretary Francisco Duque told a press briefing in Manila.

Samples from the child were sent to a laboratory in Australia for further testing and authorities are awaiting the results.

The child had a fever, throat irritation and a cough before arriving in the central city of Cebu with a parent, the health department said.

Three other travellers from China were checked by authorities at another airport, but they did not show symptoms that corresponded with the coronavirus. 

Increased control measures have been enforced at many places, with scientists still uncertain of the outbreak’s nature and mode of transmission.

Two patients in southern China have caught the virus from infected family members, according to local media. Pictured, Chinese residents wear masks in Wuhan

Two patients in southern China have caught the virus from infected family members, according to local media. Pictured, Chinese residents wear masks in Wuhan

China reported on January 20 the mysterious virus had spread across the country from Wuhan. Pictured, medical staff at Jinyintan hospital, Wuhan

China reported on January 20 the mysterious virus had spread across the country from Wuhan. Pictured, medical staff at Jinyintan hospital, Wuhan

Reports claim some vendors have hiked the price from £11 to £110 per box amid an alleged mask shortage. On Weibo, the Chinese equivalent to Twitter, web users reported to have seen huge lines of customers in and outside pharmacies in hope of buying the sought-after item

Reports claim some vendors have hiked the price from £11 to £110 per box amid an alleged mask shortage. On Weibo, the Chinese equivalent to Twitter, web users reported to have seen huge lines of customers in and outside pharmacies in hope of buying the sought-after item

Pictures and videos circulating on the country's social media purport to show residents in various cities queuing to stock up on the medical products. A total of 317 people in Asia have now tested positive for the unnamed virus after it first emerged in Wuhan city last month

Pictures and videos circulating on the country's social media purport to show residents in various cities queuing to stock up on the medical products. A total of 317 people in Asia have now tested positive for the unnamed virus after it first emerged in Wuhan city last month

NORTH KOREA BANS ALL TOURISTS FROM ENTERING OVER FEARS OF THE CORONAVIRUS

North Korea has temporarily banned all tourists from entering the country over fears the Chinese coronavirus will spread, reports say.

Two foreign tour operators today revealed officials in the Hermit Kingdom told them borders will close until the outbreak is 'well under control'. 

Young Pioneer Tours, an adventure travel company based in China, told Reuters that North Korean officials had told them of the temporary ban. 

A manager at another foreign tour company, which hasn't been named, said they too had been told of such a move. Further details are expected tomorrow.  

A South Korean budget airline has also announced it will postpone the launch of its cheap flights to Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak.

T’way Air said the decision was 'inevitable' given the spiralling number of cases, with 317 people across Asia now confirmed to have the virus. 

South Korea yesterday reported its first confirmed case of the virus – a 35-year-old Chinese national who flew from Wuhan to Seoul on Sunday.

T’way had been set for the first of its twice-a-week flights from Incheon to Wuhan at 10.20pm (13.20 GMT).

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But Professor Zhong Nanshan, of China's National Health Commission, said human-to-human transmission was 'affirmative' in a press conference yesterday.

'Currently, it can be said it is affirmative that there is the phenomenon of human-to-human transmission,' he said, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

Two patients in southern China caught the virus from infected family members, and had not visited a seafood market thought to be at the centre of the outbreak. 

Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market has been closed and under investigation since January 1 as scientists scramble to determine where the virus has come from. 

A total of 322 people in Asia have now tested positive for the virus, which marks a sharp increase from the 48 on January 17. 

The outbreak has spread within China, with cases recorded in Guangdong province, as well as Beijing and Shanghai. 

People in China have been urged not to panic and to try and enjoy the festive season.

A piece in Chinese newspaper the Global Times said on Sunday: 'The entire Chinese society should be vigilant but should not be in panic. 

'We should make the upcoming Spring Festival happy and peaceful, and also pay close attention to every link where the pneumonia may increase transmission.'

Three other countries have also reported cases of the virus - Thailand, Japan and South Korea

Quarantine workers spray disinfect at Incheon International Airport in South Korea. South Korea confirmed its first case on January 20 after a 35-year-old woman arriving at Seoul’s Incheon airport tested positive for the virus

Quarantine workers spray disinfect at Incheon International Airport in South Korea. South Korea confirmed its first case on January 20 after a 35-year-old woman arriving at Seoul’s Incheon airport tested positive for the virus

Wuhan residents have made made more than four million trips by train, road and air since January 10 during the annual Lunar New Year travel rush. Above, a screen grab from CCTV's news programme shows flocks of passengers leaving Wuhan Train Station on Monday

Wuhan residents have made made more than four million trips by train, road and air since January 10 during the annual Lunar New Year travel rush. Above, a screen grab from CCTV's news programme shows flocks of passengers leaving Wuhan Train Station on Monday

THE TIMELINE OF WHEN THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK BEGAN

December 31 2019: The WHO China Country Office was informed of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China. Around 44 suspected cases were reported in the month of December.

January 1 2020: A seafood market was closed for environmental sanitation and disinfection after being closely linked with the patients.

January 5 2020: Doctors ruled out severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) as being the cause of the virus, as well as bird flu, Middle East respiratory syndrome and adenovirus. Meanwhile, Hong Kong reported

January 9 2020: A preliminary investigation identified the respiratory disease as a new type of coronavirus, Chinese state media reported.

Officials at Wuhan Municipal Health Commission reported the outbreak's first death on January 9, a 61-year-old man.

January 13 2020: A Chinese woman in Thailand was the first confirmed case of the mystery virus outside of China. The 61-year-old was quarantined on January 8, but has since returned home in a stable condition after having treatment, the Thai Health Ministry said.

January 14 2020: The WHO told hospitals around the globe to prepare, in the 'possible' event of the infection spreading.

It said there is some 'limited' human-to-human transmission of the virus. Two days previously, the UN agency said there was 'no clear evidence of human to human transmission'.

January 16 2020: A man in Tokyo is confirmed to have tested positive for the disease after travelling to the Chinese city of Wuhan.

A second death, a 69-year-old man, was reported by officials at Wuhan Municipal Health Commission. He died in the early hours of January 15 at Jinyintan Hospital in Wuhan city having first been admitted to hospital on December 31.

January 17 2020: Thailand announces it has detected a second case. The 74-year-old woman had been quarantined since her arrival on Monday. She lived in Wuhan.

Scientists at Imperial College London fear up to 4,500 patients in Wuhan may have caught the virus. A report said if cases are this high, substantial human to human transmission can't be ruled out.

John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK), San Francisco International Airport and Los Angles International Airport (LAX) will start screening passengers arriving from Wuhan, US officials said.

January 20 2020: China reported a sharp rise in the number of people infected with a new coronavirus over the weekend, including 136 more cases in Wuhan city.

The outbreak spread across China, as authorities in Shenzhen in southern China reported one case, and Chinese state media said Beijing had reported two cases.

South Korea confirmed its first case - a 35-year-old woman arriving at Seoul’s Incheon airport tested positive for the virus. She had been in Wuhan the week prior.

The total number of confirmed cases reached 205, including three deaths and four confirmed cases outside China.

Details were not revealed about the third death. 

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The World Health Organisation (WHO) said earlier an animal source seemed to be 'the most likely primary source' of the virus.

Jeremy Farrar, a specialist in infectious disease epidemics and director of the Wellcome Trust global health charity, raised concerns about the number of people travelling through Wuhan.

He said: 'Wuhan is a major hub and with travel being a huge part of the fast approaching Chinese New Year, the concern level must remain high. 

'There is more to come from this outbreak.'

He added that coughing is the 'quickest way to spread an infection around the world'. 

'Whenever you get something new happening in humans, especially when it is spread by coughing, it is always a worry. It could get worse, it could get better – but you have to plan for it getting worse,' Mr Farrar told MailOnline.

China is entering its busiest travel period due to the Lunar New Year, which sees many people travelling back to their home town or village.

Countries including Japan, Australia and the US have adopted screening measures for those arriving from China due to concerns about a global outbreak like that caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), which spread from China to more than a dozen countries in 2002 and 2003 and killed nearly 800 people.

An analysis from Imperial College London last week estimated the number of cases in Wuhan was probably around 1,700 – but could even be as high as 4,500. 

The team did not look at how the virus may be transmitted, but said 'past experience with SARS and MERS-CoV outbreaks of similar scale suggests currently self-sustaining human-to-human transmission should not be ruled out.' 

South Korea confirmed its first case on January 20 after a 35-year-old woman arriving at Seoul’s Incheon airport tested positive for the virus. She had been in Wuhan last week. 

Officials said she did not have an obvious source of infection, adding that she had not visited any wet markets and wasn't in contact with any known cases.

Last week, one case was confirmed in Japan and two in Thailand, meaning the total number of confirmed cases outside of China now sits at five. 

The WHO, which will meet tomorrow to discuss listing the outbreak as an emergency, has only invoked such a status five times in the past.

These were during the last major Ebola outbreaks – last year and in 2014, the Swine flu outbreak in 2009, a resurgence of Polio in 2014, and the Zika outbreak in South America in 2016.

WHO's Emergency Committee must convene to decide on the seriousness of a disease outbreak and the threat it poses to other countries before declaring a PHEIC. These are the incidents it has deemed serious enough in the past:

A British tourist fighting for his life in Thailand is feared to be the first Western victim, but this has not been confirmed. 

Ash Shorley, 32, is in critical condition in a hospital in Phuket after being struck down with a lung infection while visiting Koh Phi Phi island. 

Mr Shorley had to be transported to hospital by a specialised seaplane because his lung had collapsed and he could not cope with high altitude travel. 

Doctors revealed his symptoms were consistent with the Chinese coronavirus. He has been in hospital for nearly a month.

Public Health England maintains that the risk of travellers becoming infected is 'very low', and 'low' for those travelling specifically to Wuhan. 

Dr Nick Phin, a deputy director at PHE, said: 'We have issued advice to the NHS and are keeping the situation under constant review.

'People travelling to Wuhan should maintain good hand, respiratory and personal hygiene and should avoid visiting animal and bird markets or people who are ill with respiratory symptoms.

'Individuals should seek medical attention if they develop respiratory symptoms within 14 days of visiting Wuhan, either in China or on their return to the UK, informing their health service prior to their attendance about their recent travel to the city.' 

 

Chinese coronavirus may have been lurking in animals for DECADES before adapting to infect humans, leading expert says

The new Chinese coronavirus may have been lurking in animals for decades, Sir Jeremy Farrar, a renowned specialist in infectious disease epidemics, has said.

The virus isn't new but has likely adapted to infect humans. 

Officials say the never-before-seen infection emerged from an animal source, much like the deadly SARS, HIV and Ebola viruses. 

Authorities have pointed the blame on food markets in Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak that scientists are scrambling to contain. 

Rodents and bats among other animals are slaughtered and sold in traditional 'wet markets', which tourists flock to see the 'real' side of the country. 

Viruses – including ones carried by animals – are constantly changing and may over time become strong enough to infect humans.   

People who touch infected animal bodily fluids, such as saliva, are at risk of such viruses. However, it is not exactly clear how the new coronavirus started or is transmitted yet.

The new Chinese coronavirus may have been lurking in animals for decades, Sir Jeremy Farrar, a renowned specialist in infectious disease epidemics, has said. Pictured, live chickens for sale in Hong Kong in 2013

The new Chinese coronavirus may have been lurking in animals for decades, Sir Jeremy Farrar, a renowned specialist in infectious disease epidemics, has said. Pictured, live chickens for sale in Hong Kong in 2013

Rodents and bats among other animals are slaughtered and sold in traditional 'wet markets'. Pictured, pork at a wet market in Hong Kong, 2018

Rodents and bats among other animals are slaughtered and sold in traditional 'wet markets'. Pictured, pork at a wet market in Hong Kong, 2018

Sir Jeremy said animal markets are a 'real source of infection'. Pictured, a market in Hong Kong

Sir Jeremy said animal markets are a 'real source of infection'. Pictured, a market in Hong Kong

Sir Jeremy, director of the UK-based global health charity Wellcome, told MailOnline: 'This is absolutely not a brand new virus.

'This will have been circulating in animals in China and maybe other parts of Asia, probably for years... if not decades.'

He added that it probably hadn't had an effect on humans until now, or caused such mild infections that 'no-one was bothered about' it. 

But Sir Jeremy said 'something changed', claiming the virus may have adapted to animals or mutated to become infectious to humans.

Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market has been shut since January 1 because the majority of patients have been connected to it.

Sir Jeremy said animal markets are a 'real source of infection'.

He added: 'It’s a seafood market but it also had animals being sold, from domestic chickens and ducks to all sorts of other animals.

'The mixing of animals in an animal market has been a very common way that these infections have come about.

'Sometimes these viruses can adapt to humans, replicate and cause human infections.'

Pointing at HIV and Ebola, Sir Jeremy said: 'Many, many infections in humans that we know of today actually originated in animals.' 

SARS, the deadly virus which started in southern China and killed more than 700 people in the early 2000s, came out of a similar market.   

And avian flu, another zootonic disease which can infect humans, can be spread from live birds sold at markets or poultry farms. 

Wet markets often sell live animals, many of which are illegal or exotic. The vast number of species allows a virus to adapt.

Mr Farrar said: 'Animals mixing allows the virus to be in lots of different hosts, which allows it to adapt to those animals. 

'The virus can them come across to humans [who buy and sell at the market].' 

Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious diseases expert at the University of East Anglia, said the coronavirus 'almost certainly' came from animals. 

He said people in China are in closer contact with wild animals than those in Western societies because their diet is so varied.

'With China particularly, there is a closer link to animals and what sort of animals people consume,' Professor Hunter said.

'When people go to the market to buy chicken for the week, it's often alive when you buy it. People butcher the animal themselves at home or in the street.' 

Infected animals may shed the virus in their saliva, mucous and faeces, which humans may come into contact with. 

They may inhale droplets of the virus from the air, or physically touch an infected animal. 

Scientists are still trying to work out how the new Chinese virus attacks its host and how deadly it is.  

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE NEW CHINESE VIRUS? 

What is the virus?

The virus has been identified as a new type of coronavirus. 

Coronaviruses are a large family of pathogens, most of which cause mild respiratory infections such as the common cold. 

But coronaviruses can also be deadly. SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, is caused by a coronavirus and killed hundreds of people in China and Hong Kong in the early 2000s.

Why hasn’t it been named yet?

The virus has not been named, although it commonly goes by ‘nCoV2019’, which stands for novel (new) coronavirus 2019.

When a virus emerges slowly, as this one has, scientists have to work quickly to understand its severity, how it is spread and how deadly it is.

Jeremy Farrar, a specialist in infectious disease epidemics and director of the Wellcome Trust global health charity, said he thinks the virus will be named over the coming weeks and months because it is the ‘least important decision at the moment’.

He added that it was unlikely to be named after Wuhan because it would suggest blame.

He told MailOnline: 'Ebola was named after the Ebola river in the Congo. We’ve moved on from that because people didn’t want to associate them with cities and towns for the sense of blame.' 

What symptoms does it cause?

Its symptoms are typically a fever, cough and trouble breathing, but some patients have developed pneumonia, a potentially life-threatening infection that causes inflammation of the small air sacs in the lungs.

People carrying the novel coronavirus may only have mild symptoms, such as a sore throat. They may assume they have a common cold and not seek medical attention, experts fear.

How is it detected?

When the outbreak started in December 2019, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission said hospitals across the city had treated a 'successive series of patients with unexplained pneumonia'.

After investigations, a never-before-seen strain of coronavirus was identified and reported on January 9.

The virus's genetic sequencing was released by scientists in China to the rest of the world to enable other countries to quickly diagnose potential new cases. This helps other countries respond quickly to disease outbreaks. 

To contain the virus, airports are detecting infected people with temperature checks. But as with every virus, it has an incubation period, meaning detection is not always possible because symptoms have not appeared yet.

The incubation period of nCov2019 is not known. Research by Imperial College London suggested there is a 10-day window between someone being infected and showing symptoms, based on the evidence so far. 

Can it kill?

Six people have so far died after testing positive for the virus. The first two patients who died suffered other health problems, so it is possible the virus is more lethal in vulnerable people.

The first patient, a 61-year-old-man, had abdominal tumours and chronic liver disease. The second, who was 69, had severe cardiomyopathy – a heart condition, abnormal kidney function, and seriously damaged organs. 

How is it spread?

Investigations have focused on animals as the source because the majority of the first infected patients in Wuhan were traced to the Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market.

On January 14, the World Health Organization said there is some 'limited' human-to-human transmission of the virus.

Professor Zhong Nanshan, a renowned scientist at China’s National Health Commission, said human-to-human transmission is 'affirmative', in a press conference on January 20.

Two patients in southern China caught the virus from infected family members, according to local media. They had not visited Wuhan.

Why has a seafood market been closed?

Authorities also closed Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market in Wuhan city since January 1 because the majority of the first infected patients had worked or visited there.

'Environmental samples' taken from the market tested positive for the virus, Wuhan health authorities said.

The first patient diagnosed with the novel strain, who was also the first death, was a regular customer at the seafood market on Wuhan's outskirts.

What are countries doing to prevent the spread?

China has rapidly strengthened its capacity to prepare for and respond to public health threats, Dr Takeshi Kasai, the WHO’s regional director for the Western Pacific wrote in an Nikkei Asian Review article. 

Countries in Asia that have stepped up airport surveillance include Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines.

Australia and the US are also screening patients for a high temperature, but the UK is not yet. 

Is it similar to anything we’ve ever seen before?

Memories remain strong of the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The 2002-2003 SARS epidemic started in southern China and killed more than 700 people in mainland China, Hong Kong and elsewhere. But no cases have been recorded in the world since 2004.

Scientists first thought that only animals transmitted SARS to humans. But it soon became apparent that SARS could spread between humans – much like the new coronavirus.

The WHO criticised China for under-reporting the number of cases following the outbreak, which infected four people in the UK.

Similarly, it took 'a while' for scientists to spot that MERS - could be spread between people. Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome (MERS) is believed to be transmitted to humans from dromedary camels, but the original host may have been bats. 

MERS killed around 35 per cent of about 2,500 people who have been infected.

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