The outbreak of a mysterious virus that was first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan continues to spread. Health authorities in China just confirmed 139 new cases of pneumonia linked to the virus, including two cases in Beijing and one in Shenzhen. A third death has also been confirmed, CNN reported.
The new coronavirus, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is calling 2019-nCoV, has also been detected in Thailand and Japan. According to the agency, it’s been linked to “a large seafood and animal market.”
What now? The CDC emphasizes that the risk for the American public is low, but that outbreaks of unknown viruses are always a concern. In response to the outbreak, the CDC says travelers entering the United States from Wuhan will undergo a health screening and questionnaire. They’ll be checked for the following symptoms:
- fever
- cough
- difficulty breathing
Travelers with those symptoms will have their health further assessed. Last week, the CDC said it was deploying about 100 staffers to three airports—San Francisco International, New York’s JFK, and Los Angeles International—to help carry out the screenings.
For more information, you can check out the CDC’s dedicated web page for the virus here.
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