China’s mystery pneumonia is continuing its spread, with a further six confirmed cases of the illness now being reported in Hong Kong. The illness, which has been traced to the Chinese city of Wuhan, is believed to have originated in or around the seafood markets there, though it’s still unclear exactly how it began.
The six new cases that appeared in Hong Kong included several young children who had returned from Wuhan and exhibited fever and other pneumonia-like symptoms. This all sounds pretty rough, but there’s actually some good news in the latest report from the South China Morning Post.
The illness is believed to be a new strain of the coronavirus, according to health officials in China. There have been no reports of deaths related to the infections, and it doesn’t appear as though the outbreak is particularly contagious. Nevertheless, Chinese authorities are monitoring relatives of those who came down with the sickness in order to get the jump on new infections if they should arise.
The good news is that many of the suspected cases have already been resolved, with over 30 of the nearly 60 cases having been discharged. Early symptoms include trouble breathing and fevers, but conditions improve rapidly after treatment, according to health officials.
There have been no confirmed cases of human-to-human transmission, which is great news. Some of the most serious outbreaks to happen in China, including illnesses like bird flu, were animal-to-human transmissions. This new sickness hasn’t spread particularly fast, and Chinese authorities are working on developing a test to diagnose the virus within hours.
At the moment, there’s no reason to panic, even if you’re living in China and happen to be near the area where the infections are popping up. We’ll be keeping our fingers crossed that the source of the infection can be nailed down soon and this whole strange saga can be resolved.
