# 7262
Overnight the Health Ministry in France confirmed that country’s second novel coronavirus (nCoV) infection – that of a patient who shared a hospital room with their index case – a traveler recently returned from the UAE.
This confirmation marks the third known hospital-linked transmission of the virus. Although nCoV is not SARS, this is a scenario similar to what we saw with the SARS virus a decade ago.
While several other close contacts have tested negative for the virus (see France: Update On Coronavirus Suspect Cases), roughly 120 patient contacts are reportedly being watched for signs of infection.
This report from Reuters:
Second French coronavirus case confirmed
ARIS | Sun May 12, 2013 5:38am EDT
(Reuters) - A second case of a new SARS-like coronavirus has been diagnosed in France, the Health Ministry said on Sunday, in what appeared to be a case of human-to-human transmission.
The new infection was found in a patient who had shared a hospital room with the only other confirmed sufferer in France, the ministry said in a statement.
Health experts are concerned about clusters of cases of the new coronavirus strain, nCoV, which started in the Gulf and has spread to France, Britain and Germany. But there has so far been little evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission.
At least one news agency is reporting that this second case was moved into ICU on Sunday Afternoon (local time).
Coronavirus: the second patient transferred to ICU
The second patient's clinical condition worsened by the Lille University Hospital. The patient has difficulty breathing.
This makes the third hospital-associated cluster of nCoV cases, and reinforces the idea that this virus can – at least through close and prolonged contact – transmit in some limited way among humans.
How well this virus is transmitted, and whether there are asymptomatic cases occurring that are not being picked up by current surveillance techniques, are important questions needing answers.
Another unknown is the sensitivity of the lab tests being employed. Until serological studies can be done on patients who tested negative by PCR, we really won’t know the answer to that question.
Meanwhile, World Health Organization and international health experts are in Saudi Arabia in an attempt to help the Saudi Ministry of Health investigate the outbreak in Al-Ahsa.
We continue to see syntax-mangled (machine translated) Arabic news reports that paint a confusing (and perhaps misleading) picture of what is happening in Saudi Arabia.
Hopefully we’ll get some detailed updates from the World Health Organization on the extent, and status, of the Saudi outbreak over the next day or two.
For recent updates on the novel coronavirus from the WHO and CDC, you may wish to revisit:
