There have been 9,320 confirmed coronavirus infections worldwide. Inside China, confirmed infections are 9,096 while possible infections including cases still under being monitored totaled 12,167. Death tolls in the Asian country were already 213. The good news is that there are 163 people who recovered from the disease.
The World Health Organization has just declared the outbreak a global emergency. In a press conference, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the declaration is not based on what is happening in China but how it is rapidly spreading to other countries.
The organization is concerned that new coronavirus could spread to countries without stable health systems, most especially that there have been a total of eight cases of human-to-human infection in Germany, Japan, Vietnam, and the United States of most recent.
WHO declared China as having a "Very High" risk. The organization acknowledged China's leadership and political commitment of the very highest levels, saying it acted promptly and immediately to address the outbreak. WHO praised China's commitment to transparency. The country identified the virus and shared its sequence promptly, making diagnosis almost immediately.
"The measures China has taken are good not only for that country but also for the rest of the world," WHO said.
Of the 213 deaths, 170 occurred in central Hubei province where the new coronavirus was first detected.
Meanwhile, here are the latest confirmed cases::
Hong Kong 10
Macao 5
Thailand 14
Japan 14
Singapore 13
Taiwan 9
Malaysia 8
Australia 7
South Korea 6
France 5
Vietnam 5
The United States 5
Germany 4
Canada 3
United Arab Emirates 4
India 1
Philippines 1
Finland 1
Nepal 1
Cambodia 1
Sri Lanka 1
Governments are getting hundreds of foreign nationals from Wuhan. The U.S. has already brought back 195 citizens from Wuhan. They are confined and quarantined in a military base near Los Angeles. The UK, Australia, South Korea, Singapore, Japan and New Zealand will also quarantine citizens who traveled from Wuhan.
The first five known US infections were believed to have gotten the virus when they traveled back from China. The first confirmed human-to-human infection was a man who was infected by his wife.
WHO said the first common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms like fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. The infection can worsen to pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure, and even death.
To prevent infection people are advised to regularly hand wash, cover mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing. Avoid people who are already coughing and sneezing. Other preventive measures include cooking meat and eggs properly.
