CORONAVIRUS: China frantically battles outbreak as death toll rises to 26, 830 others infected

Health authorities in China are frantically battling the outbreak of the new MERS & SARS-like disease known as Coronavirus, which has claimed no less than 26 lives and has infected 830 others.

Reports say local authorities have placed restrictions on 10 cities Hubei province – the centre of the outbreak with more than 40 million people who are affected living in urban areas.

The outbreak has also witnessed the suspension public transport amid fears that the transmission rate will accelerate as hundreds of millions of Chinese travel for the Lunar New Year.

“The answer is wait till after Chinese New Year … we will know the degree, the speed and the breath of infections by this virus, and get a much clearer idea on mortality,” said another analyst, David Roche of Independent Strategy.

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As fears increase over the spread of the virus Beijing’s city government has urged residents returning from coronavirus outbreak areas to stay at home for 14 days to prevent its spread.

Shanghai’s city government has also urged people coming into the city from “key areas” to stay at home or under centralised quarantine for 14 days.

According to a senior health official investigating the outbreak of pneumonia in China stemming from a new coronavirus, the disease can spread from person to person but can be halted with increased vigilance, as authorities confirmed the fourth death from the infection.

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