🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.
A novel strain of the coronavirus has been confirmed in at least eight countries, including the United States, and officials are warning that more cases will likely be discovered.
The virus, known as 2019-nCoV, originated in Wuhan, China, and was first reported in December. Officials are still learning about the virus, as it hasn't been detected in humans before, but they say it most closely resembles severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS.
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus convened an emergency committee of members and advisers to assess the situation and decide if it warranted declaring a public health emergency of international concern. The committee had been divided as to whether it qualified as a PHEIC, but on Thursday it announced it was too early to make the declaration.
Part of the reason the committee didn't think it qualified was because of the limited number of cases outside of China. Every patient outside of China was someone who had traveled from Wuhan, and so far there is no evidence of the virus being transmitted between people beyond China's borders.
China
On Thursday, Ghebreyesus reported there have been 575 cases of the coronavirus in China. That includes 17 deaths, mostly involving people who had underlying health conditions that weakened their immune systems.
The United States
Two cases of the new strain have been detected in the United States. On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced it had confirmed a second infection, in Illinois.
The patient had returned from Wuhan on January 13 and began experiencing symptoms a few days later. The patient, who hasn't been identified, is reportedly doing well but remains hospitalized in an isolated room to limit the risk of the infection spreading.
The CDC said the first U.S. case was confirmed on Tuesday and also involved someone who recently returned home after a visit to Wuhan. That case is in Washington state, and the CDC expects there will be more cases in the coming days and weeks. However, the agency reiterated that the immediate risk to the American public is believed to be low.
Japan
Two cases of coronavirus have been discovered in Japan, according to The Washington Post. The most recent case involved a man in his 40s who is from Wuhan. He had traveled to Japan on Sunday on a flight that went through Hong Kong.
South Korea
On Monday, South Korea reported its first case of the coronavirus, according to the WHO. The patient, a 35-year-old female who lives in Wuhan, was in stable condition.
Singapore
Singapore has had 44 suspected cases of the coronavirus, according to the Ministry of Health. Of those cases, three people tested positive, 13 were negative and 28 are still pending.
Thailand
On Friday, Thailand's deputy public health minister, Satit Pitutecha, confirmed that a fifth case was detected in a female tourist from China, according to the Bangkok Post. Two other patients are under quarantine for the virus, the newspaper said.
Vietnam
On Thursday, Vietnam's Ministry of Health confirmed that two Chinese citizens in Vietnam tested positive for coronavirus, according to Reuters. The patients were a father and son and had recently arrived in Vietnam from Wuhan.
France
On Friday, France became the first country in Europe to confirm cases of the coronavirus, according to BBC News. One case was found in Bordeaux, in southwestern France, and another was found in the Paris area.
About the writer
Jenni Fink is a senior editor at Newsweek, based in New York. She leads the National News team, reporting on ... Read more