The number of infection cases from the new virus in China has tripled over the weekend, with the outbreak spreading from Wuhan to other cities, including Beijing and Shanghai.
The number of cases infected with the new virus in China has tripled to over 200, mostly concentrated in Wuhan but the respiratory infection has been detected in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen. Three people have died from the infection while cases have been reported in Thailand, Japan, and South Korea.
The surge in the number of cases has been attributed to the upcoming Lunar New Year holidays, when millions of Chinese are expected to travel. According to health officials, the infection, which first appeared in December, is a strain of coronavirus and has led to an outbreak of pneumonia.
The recent outbreak prompted memories of another coronavirus, the Sars virus, which killed 774 people in the early 2000s across dozens of countries, mostly in Asia. According to genetic code analysis, the new virus in China is more closely related to Sars than any other human coronavirus.
Dubbed 2019-nCoV, the new strain of coronavirus has not previously been identified in humans and adds to only six known strains that infect people. World Health Organization (WHO) scientists believe that an animal is "the most likely primary source" but that some human-to-human transmission has occurred.
Symptoms of infection from this virus include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.
Four cases have been identified overseas, two in Thailand, one in Japan and one in South Korea. All of those infected were people who are either from Wuhan or have visited the city. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has isolated a 35-year-old Chinese woman who suffered from a fever and respiratory problems after travelling to Wuhan.
While the WHO currently does not recommend placing travel and trade restrictions, it has provided guidance to countries preparing for any outbreak.
Airports in Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo have been screening air passengers from Wuhan while the US announced last week similar measures at three major airports in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York.
