From all the studies and research conducted on the novel Wuhan coronavirus, scientists concluded that the new strain is "not as powerful as SARS." Gao Fu, head of China's Center for Disease Control and Prevention, however, emphasized that the Wuhan coronavirus is more contagious.
Ma Xiaowei, head of China's National Health Commission, explained that the spreading ability of the new coronavirus is getting stronger. They also identified a period of between 1 to 14 days incubation period of which the virus is at its most contagious state.
The Wuhan virus was found to be from the same family of coronaviruses that bring SARS to the world. SARS was also first detected in China and was initially called in reports as "coronavirus" as well.
SARS had 8,098 confirmed cases. Of that 774 died. In China and Hong Kong, SARS claimed the lives of 650 people. The United States has 75 confirmed SARS cases and no deaths.
To compare, as of January 27, there were 2,700 confirmed coronavirus cases in China. The death toll as of press times was at 80. In Hubie, the region identified as the epicenter of the outbreak, there were already 796 confirmed cases. Of that 461 were in serious condition.
The U.S. had confirmed its fifth case while Thailand had eight. Other confirmed cases include six in Hong Kong, five in Macau, four in Australia, four in Japan, four in Malaysia, four in Singapore, three in France, three in South Korea, three in Taiwan, two in Vietnam and one in Nepal.
There is actually an idea being floated that the Wuhan coronavirus shouldn't be cause for panic after being compared to flu. According to the archive from the CDC, flu killed approximately 80,000 Americans during two flu seasons ago.
On one hand, panic may be rooted in the fact that coronavirus spread at an accelerated rate. Worst, a recent finding suggests that coronavirus infection could be asymptomatic, meaning the carrier is spreading the virus without him feeling any symptoms at all.
But then again officials are acting promptly. China has contained the transportations leaving and entering the epicenter of the virus. On Monday, tourism officials also halted group tours overseas and popular tourist destinations, including Hong Kong Disneyland, closed temporarily.
The Chinese government has also promptly banned the trade of wild animals after initial findings suggest the virus jumped from snakes to humans. In Wuhan, the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market was closed immediately. There is one place in the province that reportedly sold more than 110 species. In 2018, estimates found that 16,000 wild animals were hunted and traded in Hubei.
