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04 January 2020A mysterious viral pneumonia has triggered the alert in China and special health protocols in airports such as Hong Kong (where 5 cases of 'precautionary isolation' have been reported so far) and Singapore, while messages of concern are multiplying online for the similarity of the initial symptoms with those of SARS, the spread of which started from China between 2002 and 2003 caused the death of 744 people.
The health authorities of the city of Wuhan, capital with 11 million inhabitants of the central province of Hubei, specified in a note that the cases detected so far have risen to 44 (11 of which are deemed "serious") from 27 at the end of the year.
Fearing an excess of alarmism, the police have sanctioned 8 people for false news circulating on the Internet.
Tests on the pathogenic causes of the infection are underway, but the hypotheses of common flu, avian and adenovirus were immediately excluded.
No evidence has been marked on human transmission given that there are no cases involving medical and paramedical staff who came into contact with patients, while 121 people are currently kept under observation.
The World Health Organization (WHO) "is closely monitoring the situation" in Wuhan and "is in close contact with its counterparts in China", the WHO-Western Pacific announced on Twitter, announcing the activation of the 'System for incident management 'and saying it is ready to "launch a broader response if necessary".
In Hong Kong, where the airport now has a special protocol for travelers from Wuhan, there have been two other suspected cases: a 41-year-old woman and a 12-year-old girl who have traveled to the Chinese city in the past two weeks.
The Hospital Authority, according to local media, explained that the tests have started.
"The patients in question are in stable condition. The preliminary investigation ruled out that the two patients went to the Wuhan fish market, a place particularly monitored for the risk of contagion, before the onset of symptoms", explained Raymond. Lai, head of the infectious section.
The market is under strict control by the health authorities.
Five people have been isolated in the former colony since 31 December, two of whom have already been discharged.