Thailand Surprisingly Reports One More Case Of Coronavirus Infection, Bringing Toll To 33, Meanwhile Worldwide Cases Increasing.
Source: Thailand Medical News Feb 11, 2020 4 years, 2 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 11 hours ago
Thailand reported one more case of the
coronavirus infection today, bring the country’s total to only 33 infected cases so far.
The infected patient is a 54-year-old Chinese woman from Wuhan who was put in quarantine after coming into contact with another Chinese virus patient while in
Thailand, said Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai, the director-general of the Department of Disease Control.
Meanwhile the total number of
coronavirus infected cases worldwide has now increased to 467 cases spanning 29 countries. Japan lead the most with a total of 163 cases, majority from the cruise ship that is docked at its shipyard. Singapore is next with 45 cases followed by Hong Kong with 42. The US has 13 cases so far and UK 8 has cases and Canada 8 cases as well. The total number of suspected cases globally pending testing or awaiting test results numbers at about 17,232 spanning 102 countries.
Meanwhile a residential Hong Kong Apartment Complex was evacuated after the
cases of coronavirus infection was detected in the complex.
At least about 200 residents were evacuated from a 35-storey Hong Kong housing block on Tuesday early morning after two residents in different units tested positive for the new
coronavirus.
Owners and occupants were forced to leave in the early hours as health officials in masks and white overalls scrambled to work out whether the
coronavirus had spread through the housing complex of some 3,000 people.
The country is on high alert for any potential "super spreader" events, especially in the towering housing blocks that make the city one of the world's most densely populated places in the world.
In the 2003 SARS outbreak, which killed 299 people in Hong Kong, 42 deaths came from just one housing block where about 300 people were infected.
During that particular incident,the virus was found to have spread through faulty drainage pipes as a result of fecal transmission.
Health officials said Tuesday's relocation of residents in Tsing Yi district was a precautionary measure after a 62-year-old woman on the third floor was found to have the
coronavirus. She lived 10 floors below another man who is also a carrier.
Wong Ka-hing, a spokesman from the Centre for Health Protection told
Thailand Medical News, "We are not sure what was the exact route of transmission. It could still be through the usual method of droplets or contact."
All the occupants of 35 flats connected to the same drainage system were moved out.
According to Health secretary S
ophia Chan, four residents have since shown flu-like symptoms and have been taken to a hospital isolation ward. The others were taken to quarantine camps.
The complex residents on Tuesday morning found their neighbourhood filled with police and health officials.
So far there are 42 confirmed cases of the
coronavirus in Hong Kong, including a cluster of 10 family members who had all shared a hotpot meal with an infected person.
The past SARS epidemic left profound psychological scars on Hong Kong and saddled locals with a deep distrust of authorities in Beijing who initially covered up the outbreak.
The Asian financial hub has been hit by panic buying even though the government has said imports remain steady.
However there is an acute shortage of face masks, including in hospitals where stocks are being rapidly depleted fuelling anger towards the city's pro-Beijing leaders.
The city began enforcing a 14-day mandatory quarantine for anyone arriving from mainland China since last Saturday. To date, about 2,100 people have crossed the border. The vast majority have been told to self-quarantine at home while a few dozen without addresses have been taken to government facilities.
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