A new virus poses threat

In 2003, many countries around the world, including the United States, faced a massive health concern with the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus, or SARS.

There were 8,098 reported cases of SARS, which originated in China and led to 774 deaths in 37 countries. It caused near-pandemonium in some hospitals and medical centers, threw a scare into communities and led to mass immunizations.

There hasn’t been a recorded case of SARS since 2004. Unfortunately, a new and potentially dangerous coronavirus from China, the Wuhan flu, has started to spread — and has just reached America.

This virus originated in Wuhan City, located in China's Hubei Province, which has over 11 million people. It was first reported by Chinese health officials on Dec. 31, when several people contracted pneumonia-like symptoms from a market that sold such items as marmots, snakes, deer and rabbits. Some believe bat soup sold at the market may have spread the virus.

Officials closed the market the next day. But it was too late: the virus was already spreading to cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong Province.

The World Health Organization has identified some common signs of infection related to the Wuhan flu. Typical cases include fever, cough, respiratory problems and shortness of breath. More severe cases could cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and death.

It’s been suggested that people wash their hands, cover their mouths and noses when coughing and sneezing, and cook meat and eggs as thoroughly as possible. It’s also important to avoid close contact with those showing such symptoms of respiratory illness as coughing and sneezing.

The WHO initially identified 41 cases on Jan. 12, with one death that had occurred “in a patient with serious underlying medical conditions.” That number rapidly climbed to 17 deaths in China, with 633 others infected — numbers that continue to increase.

Outside of China, several countries, such as Japan, South Korea and Thailand, have announced cases of the Wuhan flu on their soil.

On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the first U.S. case of the Wuhan flu. John Wiseman, Washington state’s secretary of health, reported that the patient is a male in his 30s who had recently visited Wuhan City. He was admitted to the Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, Washington, and is still under observation.

Many other countries are wisely taking early precautions. Australia, Japan, South Korea and the United States immediately enhanced airport screenings. The sale of high-speed train tickets in Hong Kong was halted.

China hoped to keep the Wuhan flu from spreading like SARS. But there are reports of overcrowded hospitals turning away patients. Officials are planning to construct, in only six days, a new hospital modeled after a facility that treated patients during the SARS outbreak.

Chinese officials also barred trains and planes from going in and out of Wuhan City, as well as three nearby central cities: Huanggang, Ezhou and Chiba. Meanwhile, Beijing canceled two popular lunar new year fairs.

For now, the symptoms of the virus seem mild for most people. Despite all the attention, the new virus may be less infectious than an influenza virus. Still, it offers a reminder that nature, including its ever-changing viruses, is one of the dangers humans face in this troubled world.