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#14,621
We have the latest official update - published today by the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission - on China's growing cluster of unidentified pneumonia cases first announced on December 31st. Today's update raises the number of hospitalized pneumonia cases to 59, an increase of 15 since the last report on January 3rd.
We also get the first indication of how long this outbreak has been ongoing, with the earliest onset of symptoms cited as December 12th.
According to this report, Influenza (avian & seasonal), SARS, MERS-CoV, and Adenovirus have all been excluded. The search for a causative agent continues.
Of note, while early reports suggested that nearly all of the hospitalized cases were linked to the Wuhan seafood market district, today's report backs off on that a bit, stating `. . . some patients were operating households in Wuhan South China Seafood City'.
Wuhan Municipal Health and Health Committee's Report on Unexplained Viral Pneumonia
Issuing authority: Wuhan City health committee | Published: 2020-01-05 20:33:24 | Hits: 21622 | Font Size: Tai Zhong Small
Since December 31, 2019, our committee has carried out search and retrospective investigation of viral pneumonia cases of unknown cause in the city. As of 8:00 on January 5, 2020, a total of 59 patients with unexplained diagnosis of viral pneumonia were reported in our city, including 7 critically ill patients, and the remaining patients' overall vital signs were stable.
At present, all patients are being isolated in medical institutions in Wuhan Treatment, no deaths. Among the 59 patients, the earliest onset of the case was December 12, 2019, and the latest onset was December 29; 163 close contacts have been followed up for medical observation, and the follow-up of close contacts is still in progress .
An epidemiological survey showed that some patients were operating households in Wuhan South China Seafood City (South China Seafood Wholesale Market). As of now, preliminary investigations have shown no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission and no medical staff infections. Respiratory pathogens such as influenza, avian influenza, adenovirus, infectious atypical pneumonia ( SARS) and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) have been excluded . Pathogen identification and cause tracing are still underway.
At present, with the support of the state and Hubei Province, Wuhan has adopted the following main prevention and control measures:
- First, it is to treat patients with all its strength.
- The second is to carry out isolation treatment for all cases.
- The third is to continue to conduct relevant case searches and retrospective investigations in medical institutions throughout the city.
- The fourth is to carry out close contact tracking seriously, implement medical observation on the close contacts that have been tracked according to regulations, and have not found any abnormal symptoms such as fever.
- Fifth, we will take measures to suspend the market for South China Seafood City, and carry out environmental sanitation and further hygiene investigations.
- Sixth, actively carry out epidemiological investigations.
Experts suggest that the city is currently in the season of high incidence of infectious diseases in winter and spring. Citizens should pay attention to maintaining indoor air circulation to avoid closed and airless public places and crowded places. Wear masks when necessary. If you have fever, respiratory infection symptoms, especially persistent fever, go to a medical institution in time.
- Seventh, cooperate with the state and province to carry out pathogen identification (including nucleic acid detection and virus isolation and cultivation) and trace the cause of the cause, and prevention and control work is proceeding in an orderly manner.
