Barrientos and Pedrosa Blogs

South Korea has been witnessing a surge in coronavirus transmissions since 19 February, within a month of reporting the first case. The cases increased multi-fold on 21 February, the majority of them being reported in the city of Daegu. On 22 February, 229 more cases have been reported, the majority being in Gyeong-buk province. The increase was due to community spread, traced to a church in Shincheonji, alarming the Korean health authorities. Singapore too is facing a similar surge in community spread of the novel coronavirus (nCoV). Contact tracing also hinted of transmission linked to Cheongdo Daenam hospital where coronavirus cases are being tested and treated. South Korea Covid-19 cases: Trend northward When did coronavirus reach South Korea? The National IHR Focal Point (NFP) for the Republic of Korea reported the first coronavirus case in South Korea on 20 January 2020. The patient was a 35-year-old Chinese woman who arrived at the Incheon international airpor...

Today officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned that although the agency is taking historic measures to slow the introduction of COVID-19 into the United States, the country should prepare for the possibility of community spread, as seen in China and neighboring Asian countries. "The day may come when we may need to implement such measures as seen in Asia," Nancy Messonnier, MD, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said in a press conference, referencing the closing of businesses, schools, and churches in multiple countries where transmission is now occurring within the community. Repatriated Diamond Princess passengers The remarks were made just one day after 14 American passengers who tested positive for the virus and were on the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked in Japan were flown to the US for further medical treatment, on chartered flights with healthy passengers.  A total o...

TOKYO — Another 65 people aboard the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship moored off Japan have been diagnosed with novel coronavirus, the health ministry said Monday, bringing the total number of known infections to 135. The Diamond Princess has been in quarantine since arriving off the Japanese coast early last week after the virus was detected in a former passenger who got off the ship last month in Hong Kong. "Test results from 103 people have now come out and 65 of them are confirmed positive for the new coronavirus," the ministry said in a statement without giving further details such as their nationalities. Authorities have continued to test people for the virus where "necessary," the statement added. The cruise ship operator said 66 people had been newly diagnosed, mostly Japanese, but there were also Australians, Filipinos and a Canadian, a Brit and a Ukrainian. There was no immediate clarity on the discrepancy between that figure an...

Citizens wear masks to defend against new viruses on January 22 in Guangzhou, China. The new coronavirus, known as 2019-nCoV, was discovered in Wuhan virus pneumonia cases in 2019, and the virus was transmitted from person to person.  More than 200 people have died from a  coronavirus outbreak that started in Wuhan, China , and  over 9,900  people have been infected worldwide. As the outbreak has spread, China has moved to stop people leaving and entering cities linked to the disease. Last Thursday morning, authorities in Wuhan  shut down the city's public transportation , including buses, trains, ferries, and the airport. As of Friday local time, at least 15 cities in China are locked down, accounting for a population of over 50 million people.  Several media outlets  estimate the number of people locked down at 56 million. The effects of the shutdown have been widespread: Several large foreign and Chinese corporations, including McDon...

MANILA, Philippines — A 44-year-old Chinese man who tested positive for the 2019 novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (nCoV ARD) has died, the Department of Health (DOH) reported yesterday. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the Chinese man from Wuhan, China the epicenter of the nCoV ARD outbreak was also recorded as the second confirmed case of the potentially deadly infection in the country. “Over the course of the patient’s admission, he developed severe pneumonia due to multiple viral and bacterial infections,” Duque said. He added that the patient was initially stable and even showed signs of improvement. The patient’s condition, however, deteriorated, leading to his death last Saturday. Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo said the nCoV confirmatory test on the samples taken from the fatality was conducted by the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Muntinlupa City. Laboratory tests on the samples from his partner were don...

1. What about animals or animal products imported from China? Due to the animal health situation in China, notably the presence of contagious animal diseases, only a few live animals and unprocessed animal products from China are authorised for import into the European Union. There is no evidence that any of the animals or animal products authorised for entry into the European Union pose a risk to the health of EU citizens as a result of the presence of COVID-19 in China. 2. What about food products imported from China? As with the imports of animals and animal products, due to the animal health situation in China, only a few products of animal origin are authorised for import into the EU from China, on the condition that they meet strict health requirements and have been subjected to controls. For the same reasons, travellers entering the EU customs territory are not allowed to carry any meat, meat product...

1. Should I reconsider travelling to Asia at present, privately or for business? At present,  most cases are being reported in China , with a smaller number of cases reported in certain other Asian countries. The likelihood of becoming infected in other countries across Asia is currently considered low and the World Health Organization has not advised against travel to these areas. However, the outbreak is evolving very rapidly and the  risk of infection  is therefore changing. (See the list of  areas with presumed community transmission ). Follow the travel advice provided by public health authorities in your country of residence. 2. What should I be most cautious of when travelling abroad, including trips to China? When visiting China you should:  avoid contact with sick people, in particular those with...