A female tourist was quarantined in Thailand, becoming the first patient who was diagnosed with the new virus in a country other than China. The virus has already infected a significant number of people.
The woman was picked up by the authorities after landing in Bangkok. She visited Wuhan when the outbreak was spotted during early December. One death and 41 cases have been recorded until now but local authorities are worried that the number will continue to rise in the future.
Initial research infers that the disease carries the traits of a coronavirus. It is known that coronaviruses are responsible for the spread of a large number of viruses, ranging from harmless colds to lethal infections.
One of the most infamous diseases is SARS, which is responsible for the death of more than 700 people during an outbreak that lasts for two years, from 2002 to the end of 2003. The outbreak began in China and it was ignored by the health authorities at first, a factor which contributed to an accelerated spread.
First Case of the Wuhan Pneumonia Recorded in Thailand
According to Thai sources, the female passenger landed in the country on 8 January and was taken into quarantine almost immediately. The possibility of a patient zero has been dismissed and the female is ready to return to Wuhan in the following days.
A World Health Organization representative has stated that the transmission from one person to another appears to be quite limited at this point, but preventive measures need to be taken to avoid the appearance of a wider outbreak.
Since the amount of data related to the virus is a bit limited, the researchers do not have access to all the potential variables.
As the Chinese New Year approaches, a large number of people could travel to China. Hong Kong and Singapore will screen passengers in an attempt to avoid potential outbreaks.
