Bloomberg: WHO trying to confirm two additional novel coronavirus infections

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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-...or-coronavirus-to-avert-sars-like-spread.html

Officials Monitor Coronavirus to Avert SARS-Like Spread
By Anna Edney - Feb 27, 2013 11:03 AM ET .

A deadly respiratory virus in the Middle East and U.K. is being monitored to see if it may evolve into a superbug like the 2002 SARS outbreak that killed almost 800 people, health officials said.

A novel coronavirus has infected 13 people, killing seven, Gwen Stephens, with the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Health, said at an American Society for Microbiology biodefense conference in Washington today. The World Health Organization is trying to confirm reports of two additional cases, she said.

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[Giuseppe]

Re: Bloomberg: WHO trying to confirm two additional novel coronavirus infections

Obviously, it was not detailed where and when these cases emerged.

The chronology of 2003 SARS outbreak seems to be a bit confused at least after reading some of these media reports.

In the late 2002, a southern China province experienced a LARGE severe respiratory infection outbreak. Not sporadic cases but hundreds and perhaps thousands.

After this beginning, the infection spilled over to some international travel hubs (ie HK, Canada, etc.) spreading later worldwide, with small clusters of nosocomial cases.

If the WHO wants to make a statement about additional suspected cases it should then make it without sparking rumors at scientific meeting, causing further jitters in an already disastered economical scenario. GM

 

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Re: Bloomberg: WHO trying to confirm two additional novel coronavirus infections

I had to read the original article several times to understand exactly what was being reported. The speaker of the quote is an official with the Saudi Minister of Health. She made the statement about the WHO while in Washington at an unrelated conference. WHO did not make this statement to the press.

I would have to think she was talking suspected cases back in Saudi Arabia. I wonder if they might be contacts of case #13, a recently reported fatality in that country.