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Coronavirus Infects Third U.K. Family Member - Confirmed by WHO

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  • alert
    replied
    Re: Coronavirus Infects Third U.K. Family Member - Confirmed by WHO

    So case #12 is only the second female case confirmed, and is likely the youngest of the 12 confirmed infections.

    I do believe that SARS was milder in children than in adults in 2003. If I remember correctly, the youngest SARS fatalities worldwide were in their 20s.



    The latest confirmed case (Case 12) is a younger female family member, who only had exposure to Case 10 while he was in hospital. She became ill on February 5 with a typical influenza-like illness which did not require hospital admission. She has now fully recovered.

    Leave a comment:


  • Giuseppe
    replied
    Re: Coronavirus Infects Third U.K. Family Member - Confirmed by WHO

    Originally posted by sharon sanders View Post
    I think the 3rd member had only casual contact with the index case.
    But, also:

    Source: HK CHP, http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/2...1302200513.htm

    (...)

    "Members of the public are advised to maintain good personal and environmental hygiene and avoid direct contact with animals, birds or poultry," said the spokesperson, adding that the virus may remain viable in the environment for some time and can be inactivated by 1:99 household bleach.
    (...)

    -
    ------

    Leave a comment:


  • Giuseppe
    replied
    Coronavirus Infects Third U.K. Family Member - Confirmed by WHO

    [Source: Centre for Health Protection, Hong Kong PRC SAR, full text: (LINK).]
    No human infection with novel coronavirus identified so far in Hong Kong


    In response to media enquiries on a rumour concerning human infection with novel coronavirus in Hong Kong, a spokesperson for the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (February 20) clarified that no human infection with this virus has been identified so far in Hong Kong.

    "According to the World Health Organization (WHO), of the total 12 confirmed cases of Novel Coronavirus globally, three recently confirmed cases have been diagnosed in the UK," the spokesperson said.

    According to the latest information from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the Health Protection Agency (HPA) of the UK, a male UK resident (Case 10) with confirmed novel coronavirus infection who had travelled to Pakistan and the Middle East, developed respiratory symptoms on January 24 and then had arrived unwell in the UK on January 28. While staying with his family at home, his condition deteriorated and he was admitted to hospital under intensive care.

    On February 6, a male household member (Case 11) who had contact with Case 10 from his arrival until hospital admission felt unwell. This patient had an existing medical condition that might have made him more susceptible to a severe respiratory infection. His respiratory condition deteriorated and he was admitted to hospital where he was under intensive care but subsequently died.

    The latest confirmed case (Case 12) is a younger female family member, who only had exposure to Case 10 while he was in hospital. She became ill on February 5 with a typical influenza-like illness which did not require hospital admission. She has now fully recovered.

    Cases 11 and 12 were likely infected through human-to-human transmission, although the exact route of transmission is still under investigation by the UK authority. The presence of an intermediary case or fomite spread are possible.

    "According to the ECDC, close follow-up of approximately 200 health-care workers, family members and other contacts of cases in Europe and the Middle East has not yet found other demonstrated instances of human-to-human transmission. So far, no sustained transmissions or expanding clusters of infections have been identified in any country," the spokesperson remarked.

    "Members of the public are advised to maintain good personal and environmental hygiene and avoid direct contact with animals, birds or poultry," said the spokesperson, adding that the virus may remain viable in the environment for some time and can be inactivated by 1:99 household bleach.

    He also advised travellers returning from novel coronavirus-affected countries with respiratory symptoms to wear facial masks and seek medical attention and reveal their travel histories to doctors.

    "The CHP will stay vigilant and continue to work closely with the WHO and other overseas health authorities to monitor the latest developments of this novel infectious disease," he said.

    "Locally, the CHP will continue its surveillance mechanism with public and private hospitals, practising doctors and the airport for any suspected cases of Novel Coronavirus associated with Severe Respiratory Disease," he added.


    Ends/Wednesday, February 20, 2013
    Issued at HKT 19:26
    NNNN
    - ------
    Last edited by sharon sanders; March 12, 2013, 06:09 PM. Reason: added bolding

    Leave a comment:


  • sharon sanders
    replied
    Re: Coronavirus Infects Third U.K. Family Member - Confirmed by WHO

    I think the 3rd member had only casual contact with the index case.

    Leave a comment:


  • kiwibird
    replied
    Re: Coronavirus Infects Third U.K. Family Member - Confirmed by WHO

    With regard to the third member of this family to contract this disease -
    "This case had limited exposure to the index case on three occasions while the latter was in hospital and no contact with the second case."

    Monthly reports of laboratory-confirmed respiratory infections in England and Wales.


    I wonder if a low viral load has given this case more mild symptoms!??

    I also wonder how limited his exposure was - there is no information given about protective clothing etc. - but what do they mean by "limited exposure"?

    Leave a comment:


  • Treyfish
    replied
    Re: Coronavirus Infects Third U.K. Family Member - Confirmed by WHO

    Asked Umrah pilgrims Corona Virus Alert
    The warning was delivered, Director General of Disease Control and Environmental Penyehatana (PP and PL) Ministry of Health, Prof. Dr. Tjandra Yoga Aditama told reporters on Friday (15/02/2013), after attending the handover position of the Chief of Engineering Center for Environmental Health and Disease Control (BBTKLPP ) Surabaya.http://www.tribunnews.com/2013/02/15...a-virus-corona

    Leave a comment:


  • Treyfish
    replied
    Re: Coronavirus Infects Third U.K. Family Member - Confirmed by WHO

    Indonesia Corona Virus Alert
    Friday, February 15, 2013
    The Indonesian government increased awareness of the spread of the virus Corona. It follows the reporting of the Middle East people are currently being treated at a hospital in London, who confirmed Corona virus. The report received the Director General of Disease Control and Environmental Health, Ministry of Health, Tjandra Yoga Aditana this morning.

    '' Although the virus was detected in the Arabian Peninsula, but the Indonesian government also need to be vigilant,'' he said in Surabaya, on Friday (02/15/2013).


    He said the precautions taken is to alert the 49 hospitals in all ports in Indonesia to detect the flow of passengers who indicated Corona virus.

    '' All the laboratories of the Ministry of Health was also alerted to diagnose the symptoms of the virus,'' he said...http://regional.kompas.com/read/2013...a.Virus.Corona

    Leave a comment:


  • Giuseppe
    replied
    Re: Coronavirus Infects Third U.K. Family Member, Health Agency Says

    Originally posted by solitaire View Post
    Does a pandemic alert level only apply to influenza? It seems to me HCoV EMC/2012 fulfills the criteria for a phase 3 alert, though I fully understand why they might not want to do so as the media and general public has difficulty understanding that it's a geographic definition only.

    Influenza has an unique nature of rapid, uncomptollable spread and - when pandemic potential virus emerges - the impossibility to contain it makes this pathogen of special concern for a public health perspective.

    Other pathogens have pandemic potential or are ubiquitous in the world, such as HIV, cholera, plague, some other almost untreatable virus and bacteria (ebola/Marburg viruses, XDR-TB, NDM-1 carrier Enterobacteriaceae, etc.)

    New Coronavirus (NCoV) is a newly discovered pathogen and its relatedness to the severe diseases described so far is not as sure as it was Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in 2003, caused by another coronavirus, the SARS-CoV.

    No Koch postulate was proven for NCoV so far.

    Koch's postulates are the following:
    1.The microorganism must be found in abundance in all organisms suffering from the disease, but should not be found in healthy organisms.
    2.The microorganism must be isolated from a diseased organism and grown in pure culture.
    3.The cultured microorganism should cause disease when introduced into a healthy organism.
    4.The microorganism must be reisolated from the inoculated, diseased experimental host and identified as being identical to the original specific causative agent.

    (WikiPedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koch's_postulates )

    The infectiousness, virulence and transmissibility of the NCoV remain to be established.

    No clinical, laboratory or necroscopic findings were published through peer-review literature, so any conclusion on NCoV disease potential remain difficult.

    Data sharing by authoritative source is lacking.

    It is possible that this virus may exists in nature but only recently isolated because of highly sensitive diagnotics tools are available.

    Finally, declaring a pandemic without a scientifically solid basis of proof for a new pathogen may resolve in a complete failure to control both the possible disease spread and panics, economic loss and social disruption.

    Cold mind needed.

    Leave a comment:


  • Giuseppe
    replied
    Re: Coronavirus Infects Third U.K. Family Member - Confirmed by WHO

    [Source: Department of Health, Hong Kong PRC SAR, full text: (LINK).]
    DH closely monitors additional overseas case of Severe Respiratory Disease associated with Novel Coronavirus


    The Department of Health (DH) is closely monitoring an additional case due to infection with the novel coronavirus confirmed by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) of the United Kingdom (UK). The latest case is the family member and of the 10th and the 11th cases announced by HPA earlier this week.

    The patient, who is a UK resident, does not have any recent travel history, is recovering from a mild respiratory illness and is currently well. This latest case brings the total number of confirmed cases globally to 12, of which four have been diagnosed in the UK.

    A DH spokesman said, "According to the World Health Organization (WHO), although this new case offers further indications of person-to-person transmission, no sustained person-to-person transmission has been identified.

    "The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the DH will seek more information on these three recent cases from the WHO and HPA. The CHP will stay vigilant and continue to work closely with the WHO and other overseas health authorities to monitor the latest development of this novel infectious disease.

    "Locally, the CHP will continue its surveillance mechanism with public and private hospitals, practising doctors and the airport for any suspected cases of Novel Coronavirus associated with Severe Respiratory Disease."

    "No human infection with this virus has been identified so far in Hong Kong," the spokesman stressed.

    The spokesman advised travellers returning from novel coronavirus affected countries with respiratory symptoms should wear a facial mask and seek medical attention and reveal the travel history to the doctor.

    Ends/Saturday, February 16, 2013
    Issued at HKT 19:26
    NNNN
    - -------

    Leave a comment:


  • Gert van der Hoek
    replied
    Re: Coronavirus Infects Third U.K. Family Member - Confirmed by WHO

    WHO

    WHO - Novel coronavirus infection ? update

    16 FEBRUARY 2013 - The United Kingdom (UK) has informed WHO of another confirmed case of infection with the novel coronavirus (NCoV). This is the third case confirmed in the country this month and is in the same family cluster as the two recently confirmed cases.

    The latest confirmed case does not have recent travel history outside the UK. The case is recovering from mild respiratory illness and is currently well.

    The confirmation with NCoV in this case with no recent travel history indicates that infection was acquired in the UK. Although this new case offers further indications of person-to-person transmission, no sustained person-to-person transmission has been identified.

    The Health Protection Agency (HPA) is following up on all close contacts who may have been exposed to the recently confirmed cases.

    As of 16 February 2013, WHO is informed of a total of 12 confirmed cases of human infection with NCoV, including five deaths.

    Based on the current situation and available information, WHO encourages all Member States to continue their surveillance for severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) and to carefully review any unusual patterns. Testing for the new coronavirus should be considered in patients with unexplained pneumonias, or in patients with unexplained severe, progressive or complicated respiratory illness not responding to treatment.

    Any clusters of SARI or SARI in healthcare workers should be thoroughly investigated, regardless of where in the world they occur.

    New cases and clusters of the NCoV should be reported promptly both to national health authorities and to WHO.

    WHO does not advise special screening at points of entry with regard to this event nor does it recommend that any travel or trade restrictions be applied.

    WHO continues to closely monitor the situation.

    WHO

    Leave a comment:


  • sharon sanders
    replied
    Re: Coronavirus Infects Third U.K. Family Member, Health Agency Says

    I think the pandemic scale can be used for a "public health emergency of international concern".

    The problem here is that, apparently, some countries are not accurately reporting the new novel coronavirus cases - or the cases are so mild that they are mostly unnoticed. I search Arabic sources almost every day and I particularly look for respiratory disease. There are very few reports. Remember, the initial disclosure of new coronavirus was made by a researcher in a letter to ProMED, not the Saudi Arabia government.

    Are they in violation of IHR (2005)?

    "Mandatory notification of four diseases and assessment of events involving diseases with the ability to cause serious public health impact and to spread internationally.

    While any urgent event can be assessed for notification, the decision instrument identifies two groups of diseases which raise particular concerns:

    • Group 1: A single case of smallpox, poliomyelitis due to wild type poliovirus, human influenza caused by a new subtype and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) must be immediately notified to WHO, irrespective of the context in which it occurs.

    • Group 2: Events involving epidemic-prone diseases of special national or regional concern which "have demonstrated the ability to cause serious public health impact and to spread rapidly internationally" must always be assessed using the decision instrument but only notified when fulfilling the requirements of the algorithm."


    What is SARS?

    "Preliminary Clinical Description of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome

    Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) is a disease of unknown etiology that has been described in patients in Asia, North America, and Europe. The information in this report provides a summary of the clinical characteristics of SARS patients treated in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (China), Taiwan (China), Thailand, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Slovenia, Canada and the United States since mid-February 2003. This information is preliminary and subject to limitations because of the broad and non-specific case definition.

    Most patients identified as of March 21, 2003 have been previously healthy adults aged 25-70 years. A few suspected cases of SARS have been reported among children (≤15 years).

    The incubation period of SARS is usually 2-7 days but may be as long as 10 days. The illness generally begins with a prodrome of fever (>38°C), which is often high, sometimes associated with chills and rigors and sometimes accompanied by other symptoms including headache, malaise, and myalgias. At the onset of illness, some cases have mild respiratory symptoms. Typically, rash and neurologic or gastrointestinal findings are absent, although a few patients have reported diarrhoea during the febrile prodrome.

    After 3-7 days, a lower respiratory phase begins with the onset of a dry, non-productive cough or dyspnea that may be accompanied by or progress to hypoxemia. In 10%-20% of cases, the respiratory illness is severe enough to require intubation and mechanical ventilation. The case fatality among persons with illness meeting the current WHO case definition for probable and suspected cases of SARS is around 3%...."



    Can a country argue that an illness which can spread human-to-human in close contact and which has the symptoms of: respiratory distress, high temperature, and kidney failure is not an acute respiratory disease of "public health emergency of international concern"?

    Leave a comment:


  • solitaire
    replied
    Re: Coronavirus Infects Third U.K. Family Member, Health Agency Says

    Does a pandemic alert level only apply to influenza? It seems to me HCoV EMC/2012 fulfills the criteria for a phase 3 alert, though I fully understand why they might not want to do so as the media and general public has difficulty understanding that it's a geographic definition only.

    Leave a comment:


  • curiosity
    replied
    Re: Coronavirus Infects Third U.K. Family Member, Health Agency Says

    Re-reviewing the Jordan thread, there are some interesting similarities to the Argentina event.
    • Illness presenting in HCW
      Index case from another country/recent visit to another country
      Initial suspicion for influenza type virus, quickly discounted
      Administration very quickly assures public that disease is contained
      Searching for another type of influenza - bird flu
      Searching for bacterial causes
      Scattered reports of bacterial causes - atypical types of bacteria, in Jordan's case Klebsiella, in Argentina's case - still looking (Strep, Staph, and Legionella would have been detected long ago)
      Closing the ICU for disinfection procedures


    So, either investigations are all led this way, and the index case will always be presumed to have been from another country, or -

    What these facilities have seen, the symptoms, the onset, the people affected, the event unfolding - are red flag events that warrant intense investigation, intensive cleaning, and a lot of persuasive discussion with the public to believe that everything is under control and there is not a thing to worry about.

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  • sharon sanders
    replied
    Re: Coronavirus Infects Third U.K. Family Member, Health Agency Says

    Most main stream media have closed their health reporting departments. I can count 5ish working journalists that focus on health. It is a shame. Most journalists are not familiar with health issues.

    Jordan - Cluster of approximately 12 people with acute pneumonia type illness, 2 fatalities - April 20 - May 2012 - Novel coronavirus confirmed


    Originally posted by curiosity View Post
    It continues to surprise me that they will quote in an article that "if this affected a dr. or nurse, it would be more serious."

    They omit ENTIRELY the Jordan outbreak!

    Leave a comment:


  • curiosity
    replied
    Re: Coronavirus Infects Third U.K. Family Member, Health Agency Says

    It continues to surprise me that they will quote in an article that "if this affected a dr. or nurse, it would be more serious."

    They omit ENTIRELY the Jordan outbreak!

    Leave a comment:

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