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There has been widespread fear that SARS is the cause of unknown pneumonia in China, and Chinese authorities have concluded that it is not SARS. But in Hong Kong, where SARS fears remained in the early 2000s, it raised the level of response to infectious diseases.

This is correspondent Chung Sung-yeop in Beijing.

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The number of patients diagnosed with unknown pneumonia spread in Wuhan's seafood market has increased to 59 so far, and seven are critical.

163 people who were in close contact with these patients were also conducting observational studies, but reported no abnormalities.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of pneumonia, but concluded that SARS, MERS and avian influenza were excluded.

It started in 2002 in southern China and has nothing to do with SARS, a severe respiratory syndrome in which 650 people died in mainland China and Hong Kong alone.

The World Health Organization (WHO), under joint investigation, is reported to be watching closely for the possibility of developing new strains of pneumonia.

However, Hong Kong, which killed 300 people, has raised the level of response to infectious diseases as a serious response.

Hong Kong Secretary of State Carrie Lam said he inspected the station where the high-speed trains from Wuhan stop and stepped up the quarantine process at Hong Kong airport and found 14 suspected patients.

A three-year-old child who has been to Wuhan in Singapore is being quarantined for pneumonia, and neighboring areas in China, such as Taiwan and Macau, are facing emergency preparedness.

As an unexplained pneumonia insecurity in China's civil society also increased, the Korean Embassy in Seoul urged caution and advised to refrain from visiting risky places.