After the SARS-like coronavirus spread to multiple countries, China on Monday said it was "responding actively" and had made "strict prevention and control plans".

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sars-like-virus-spreading-across-china-amid-140-new-cases-third-death-275342">Also read: SARS-like virus spreading across China amid 140 new cases, third death</a>

"China has adopted a serious, careful and professional attitude since the beginning of the epidemic. China has been responding actively, and made strict prevention and control plans. China has also done all it can to treat the patients and has well managed those who have been in close contact with the patients," China's foreign ministry Geng Shuang spokesman said.

Watch Video:

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The foreign ministry spokesman asserted that&nbsp;China had shared information on the epidemic situation with the World Health Organization including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.&nbsp;

After the novel coronavirus infection (2019-nCoV) was detected last month in Wuhan, a third death was reported last Saturday. The virus has now spread to other Chinese cities namely&nbsp;Beijing and Shenzhen.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/tracking-chinas-sars-like-coronavirus-275537">In Pics:&nbsp;Tracking China's SARS-like coronavirus</a>

"After receiving notifications of relevant cases from relevant countries, China attached great importance to strengthening cooperation with them to tackle the epidemic and maintained close communication with all parties through bilateral and multilateral channels," the foreign ministry said.

China's President Xi Jinping speaking to state broadcaster CCTV said the new virus needed to be "resolutely contained"

"The safety of people's lives and their physical health should be given top priority", the Chinese president said.

Meanwhile, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission said 136 new cases of pneumonia caused by the coronavirus strain had been found in the city.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-reports-new-cases-in-wuhan-virus-outbreak-275016">Also read: China reports new cases in Wuhan virus outbreak</a>

The strain of pneumonia outbreak spreading in the Chinese cities of Wuhan and Shenzhen has added a new nationality to its&nbsp;list of infected individuals - a 45-year-old Indian school teacher, who is undergoing treatment for the mysterious SARS-like coronavirus.

Doctors on Monday confirmed that she was suffering from the virus and is being treated for the same. The patient - Preeti Maheshwari - is a teacher at an international school in Shenzhen.

First discovered in the central city of Wuhan, the coronavirus strain has caused alarm due to its connection to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome(SARS), which had&nbsp;a kill count of around 650 people across mainland China and Hongkong in 2002-2003.

Serving as a major transport hub, Wuhan has 11 million inhabitants and sees hundreds of millions more during the Lunar New Year, when people travel across the country to visit family.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-warns-hospitals-worldwide-as-new-china-coronavirus-may-spread-further-274255">Also read: WHO warns hospitals worldwide over further spread of China's coronavirus</a> 
&nbsp; 
Following a second death due to the outbreak of the new strain, India issued an advisory on Friday to its nationals visiting China. "An infection with a novel coronavirus has been reported from China. As of 11th January 2020, 41 confirmed cases have been reported so far." it said. 
&nbsp; 
Wuhan city's medical colleges have a&nbsp;population of over 500 Indian medical students, most of whom have left for home during the Chinese New Year holidays. Authorities have stated that Wuhan will continue to expand the search area, identify suspected cases and conduct sampling tests.

After the SARS-like coronavirus spread to multiple countries, China on Monday said it was "responding actively" and had made "strict prevention and control plans".

After the SARS-like coronavirus spread to multiple countries, China on Monday said it was "responding actively" and had made "strict prevention and control plans". Also read: SARS-like virus spreading across China amid 140 new cases, third death "China has adopted a serious, careful and professional attitude since the beginning of the epidemic. China has been responding actively, and made strict prevention and control plans. China has also done all it can to treat the patients and has well managed those who have been in close contact with the patients," China's foreign ministry Geng Shuang spokesman said. Watch Video: The foreign ministry spokesman asserted that China had shared information on the epidemic situation with the World Health Organization including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. After the novel coronavirus infection (2019-nCoV) was detected last month in Wuhan, a third death was reported last Saturday. The virus has now spread to other Chinese cities namely Beijing and Shenzhen. In Pics: Tracking China's SARS-like coronavirus "After receiving notifications of relevant cases from relevant countries, China attached great importance to strengthening cooperation with them to tackle the epidemic and maintained close communication with all parties through bilateral and multilateral channels," the foreign ministry said. China's President Xi Jinping speaking to state broadcaster CCTV said the new virus needed to be "resolutely contained" "The safety of people's lives and their physical health should be given top priority", the Chinese president said. Meanwhile, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission said 136 new cases of pneumonia caused by the coronavirus strain had been found in the city. Also read: China reports new cases in Wuhan virus outbreak The strain of pneumonia outbreak spreading in the Chinese cities of Wuhan and Shenzhen has added a new nationality to its list of infected individuals - a 45-year-old Indian school teacher, who is undergoing treatment for the mysterious SARS-like coronavirus. Doctors on Monday confirmed that she was suffering from the virus and is being treated for the same. The patient - Preeti Maheshwari - is a teacher at an international school in Shenzhen. First discovered in the central city of Wuhan, the coronavirus strain has caused alarm due to its connection to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome(SARS), which had a kill count of around 650 people across mainland China and Hongkong in 2002-2003. Serving as a major transport hub, Wuhan has 11 million inhabitants and sees hundreds of millions more during the Lunar New Year, when people travel across the country to visit family. Also read: WHO warns hospitals worldwide over further spread of China's coronavirus Following a second death due to the outbreak of the new strain, India issued an advisory on Friday to its nationals visiting China. "An infection with a novel coronavirus has been reported from China. As of 11th January 2020, 41 confirmed cases have been reported so far." it said. Wuhan city's medical colleges have a population of over 500 Indian medical students, most of whom have left for home during the Chinese New Year holidays. Authorities have stated that Wuhan will continue to expand the search area, identify suspected cases and conduct sampling tests.

Responding actively, made strict prevention plan: China on spread of SARS-like coronavirus

Twenty-one people aboard a cruise ship that was barred from docking in San Francisco have tested positive for coronavirus, US officials said on Friday, adding to the more than <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-infections-rise-to-over-100000-worldwide-tourism-oil-prices-hit-284844">100,000 cases of the fast-spreading illness across the world</a>.

Vice President Mike Pence, recently appointed as the US government's point man on the outbreak, said the cruise ship Grand Princess will be brought to an unspecified non-commercial port where all 2,400 some passengers and 1,100 crew members will now be tested.

"Those that need to be quarantined, will be quarantined. Those that require additional medical attention will receive it," Pence told reporters at the White House.

The outbreak has killed more than 3,400 people and spread across more than 90 nations, with seven countries reporting their first cases on Friday. The economic damage has also intensified, with business districts starting to empty and stock markets continuing to tumble.

Watch |&nbsp;Coronavirus Outbreak: Italy's daily death toll higher than China

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President Donald Trump on Friday signed a bill to provide $8.3 billion to bolster the capacity to test for coronavirus and fund other measures in the United States. Cases have now been reported in more than half of the 50 US states. Fifteen people have died in the country.

In many affected countries, people were being asked to stay home from work, schools were closed, large gatherings and sports and music events were cancelled, stores were cleared of staples like toiletries and water, and face masks became a common sight.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said every country should make containing the epidemic its top priority, pointing to Iran's national action plan to combat one of the worst outbreaks after a slow start.

Iran's death toll from the virus jumped to 124, as more than 1,000 new cases were diagnosed over 24 hours.

The Vatican reported its first case, a patient in its health services, worsening the prospects of the virus having already spread further in the Italian capital, since most employees in the walled city-state live in Rome, and those who live in the Vatican frequently go in and out to the city that surrounds it.

Italy is the worst-hit European country, with a death toll as of Friday of 197.

South Korea on Saturday reported 174 additional cases from late Friday, taking the national tally to 6,767. Mainland China, where the outbreak started, reported 99 new confirmed cases but about a quarter of them came from outside the country, data showed.

About 3.4% of confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, have died, far above seasonal flu's fatality rate of under 1%, the WHO said this week.

Supply chains broken

Moves by some major economies, including the United States, to cut interest rates and pledge funds to fight the epidemic have done little to allay fears about the spread of the disease and the economic fallout. Supply chains have been crippled around the world.

"There's concern that while there has been a response from the Fed, given the nature of the problem, is this something the central bank can really help with?" said John Davies, G10 rates strategist at Standard Chartered Bank in London.

In New York, JPMorgan divided its team between central locations and a secondary site in New Jersey, while Goldman Sachs sent some traders to nearby secondary offices in Greenwich, Connecticut, and Jersey City.

Bank of America Corp is splitting its trading force from Monday and sending 100 New York-based staff to nearby Stamford, Connecticut, sources familiar with the matter said.

In London, Europe's financial capital, the Canary Wharf district was unusually quiet. S&amp;P Global's large office stood empty after the company sent its 1,200 staff home, and HSBC asked around 100 people to work from home after a worker tested positive for the illness.

France's prime minister said nurseries and schools would close for 15 days from Monday in the two areas worst hit by coronavirus infections, one north of Paris and the other in the northeastern part of the country.

The South by Southwest music and tech festival in Austin, Texas, and two music festivals in Florida were cancelled over concerns about events that bring crowds of people into close proximity. The NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament was scheduled to go ahead at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore this weekend, but without spectators.

Saudi Arabia will suspend public attendance at all sports events starting Saturday, the ministry of sports said.

The United Nations said it had canceled some meetings in Bonn, Germany, and elsewhere planned in the run-up to a crucial U.N. climate summit to be held in Scotland in November.

Markets hit

Yields on US Treasuries plunged to historic lows on fears the outbreak will slam the global economy, and MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe shed 3.10%. US stocks fell but ended well above their session lows.&nbsp;

Airline and travel stocks have been among the worst affected as people cancelled non-essential travel. Norwegian Air Shuttle, the hardest-hit stock among European carriers, lost more than quarter of its market value on Friday and has fallen almost 70% since the start of February.

"If this really ramps up, we could see a lot more kitchen-sinking updates from the travel industry and airlines," said Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG.

Twenty-one people aboard a cruise ship that was barred from docking in San Francisco have tested positive for coronavirus, US officials said on Friday, adding to the more than 100,000 cases of the fast-spreading illness across the world.

Twenty-one people aboard a cruise ship that was barred from docking in San Francisco have tested positive for coronavirus, US officials said on Friday, adding to the more than 100,000 cases of the fast-spreading illness across the world. Vice President Mike Pence, recently appointed as the US government's point man on the outbreak, said the cruise ship Grand Princess will be brought to an unspecified non-commercial port where all 2,400 some passengers and 1,100 crew members will now be tested. "Those that need to be quarantined, will be quarantined. Those that require additional medical attention will receive it," Pence told reporters at the White House. The outbreak has killed more than 3,400 people and spread across more than 90 nations, with seven countries reporting their first cases on Friday. The economic damage has also intensified, with business districts starting to empty and stock markets continuing to tumble. Watch | Coronavirus Outbreak: Italy's daily death toll higher than China × President Donald Trump on Friday signed a bill to provide $8.3 billion to bolster the capacity to test for coronavirus and fund other measures in the United States. Cases have now been reported in more than half of the 50 US states. Fifteen people have died in the country. In many affected countries, people were being asked to stay home from work, schools were closed, large gatherings and sports and music events were cancelled, stores were cleared of staples like toiletries and water, and face masks became a common sight. The World Health Organization (WHO) said every country should make containing the epidemic its top priority, pointing to Iran's national action plan to combat one of the worst outbreaks after a slow start. Iran's death toll from the virus jumped to 124, as more than 1,000 new cases were diagnosed over 24 hours. The Vatican reported its first case, a patient in its health services, worsening the prospects of the virus having already spread further in the Italian capital, since most employees in the walled city-state live in Rome, and those who live in the Vatican frequently go in and out to the city that surrounds it. Italy is the worst-hit European country, with a death toll as of Friday of 197. South Korea on Saturday reported 174 additional cases from late Friday, taking the national tally to 6,767. Mainland China, where the outbreak started, reported 99 new confirmed cases but about a quarter of them came from outside the country, data showed. About 3.4% of confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, have died, far above seasonal flu's fatality rate of under 1%, the WHO said this week. Supply chains broken Moves by some major economies, including the United States, to cut interest rates and pledge funds to fight the epidemic have done little to allay fears about the spread of the disease and the economic fallout. Supply chains have been crippled around the world. "There's concern that while there has been a response from the Fed, given the nature of the problem, is this something the central bank can really help with?" said John Davies, G10 rates strategist at Standard Chartered Bank in London. In New York, JPMorgan divided its team between central locations and a secondary site in New Jersey, while Goldman Sachs sent some traders to nearby secondary offices in Greenwich, Connecticut, and Jersey City. Bank of America Corp is splitting its trading force from Monday and sending 100 New York-based staff to nearby Stamford, Connecticut, sources familiar with the matter said. In London, Europe's financial capital, the Canary Wharf district was unusually quiet. S&P Global's large office stood empty after the company sent its 1,200 staff home, and HSBC asked around 100 people to work from home after a worker tested positive for the illness. France's prime minister said nurseries and schools would close for 15 days from Monday in the two areas worst hit by coronavirus infections, one north of Paris and the other in the northeastern part of the country. The South by Southwest music and tech festival in Austin, Texas, and two music festivals in Florida were cancelled over concerns about events that bring crowds of people into close proximity. The NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament was scheduled to go ahead at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore this weekend, but without spectators. Saudi Arabia will suspend public attendance at all sports events starting Saturday, the ministry of sports said. The United Nations said it had canceled some meetings in Bonn, Germany, and elsewhere planned in the run-up to a crucial U.N. climate summit to be held in Scotland in November. Markets hit Yields on US Treasuries plunged to historic lows on fears the outbreak will slam the global economy, and MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe shed 3.10%. US stocks fell but ended well above their session lows. Airline and travel stocks have been among the worst affected as people cancelled non-essential travel. Norwegian Air Shuttle, the hardest-hit stock among European carriers, lost more than quarter of its market value on Friday and has fallen almost 70% since the start of February. "If this really ramps up, we could see a lot more kitchen-sinking updates from the travel industry and airlines," said Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG.

Coronavirus infects 100,000-plus worldwide, 21 cases found on ship off San Francisco

The World Health Organization has claimed that cash contaminated with the coronavirus may be contributing to the global outbreak that continues to sweep from country to country. Watch report:

World Health Organization warns banknotes may be spreading coronavirus

The World Bank on Tuesday announced an initial $12 billion in immediate funds to assist countries grappling with the health and economic impacts of the coronavirus virus outbreak that has spread quickly from China to some 80 countries.

World Bank President David Malpass said there were still "many unknowns" about the fast-spreading virus and "much more" aid might be required, but he declined to elaborate.

The announcement underscored escalating concern about the economic and human impact of the virus.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-warns-of-global-shortage-of-medical-equipment-to-fight-coronavirus-284068">WHO warns of global shortage of medical equipment to fight coronavirus</a>

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday warned of a global shortage of protective equipment to fight the disease as well as price gouging as the death toll from the respiratory illness mounted.

Also on Tuesday, the US&nbsp;Federal Reserve cut interest rates in an emergency move to try to prevent a global recession, and finance officials from the G7 group of rich countries said they were ready to adopt fiscal and monetary measures where appropriate.

Malpass called on countries to coordinate their actions on a regional and international level, saying the speed and breadth of the response would be critical to saving lives.

"We're announcing today an initial package of immediate support that will make available up to $12 billion to respond to country requests for crisis financing of their immediate needs and also to lessen the tragic impacts of the crisis," he said.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/worlds-richest-including-jeff-bezos-and-bill-gates-lose-444-billion-in-a-week-after-global-markets-bleed-283517">World's richest including Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates lose $444 billion in a week after global markets bleed</a>

"The point is to move fast; speed is needed to save lives," Malpass said during a teleconference with reporters. "There are scenarios where much more resources may be required. We’ll adapt our approach and resources as needed."

The Bank's International Development Association, which helps the world's poorest countries, could also receive additional funds in the second quarter of 2020 if its Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility (PEF) is triggered, which has not occurred yet, Malpass said.

That would not require global health officials to declare the outbreak a pandemic, he added.

Poor countries with weak health systems were the most vulnerable in such outbreaks, he said, but past experience with Ebola and other outbreaks showed that taking the right measures quickly could lessen the transmission of the disease and save lives.

He also cautioned countries against taking measures that would further limit trade.

Some countries had already requested aid, Malpass said but declined to name them.

The World Bank said the $12 billion in fast-track grants, loans and low-interest loans would help developing countries provide better access to health services, strengthen disease surveillance and bolster public health interventions, as well as work with the private sector to reduce the impact on economies.

About $4 billion of the funding will be reprogrammed from other Bank instruments, officials said.

The Bank said its International Finance Corporation (IFC) will work with commercial bank clients to expand&nbsp;trade finance and working capital lines as countries scramble to get needed supplies to contain the virus.

The IFC will also work with corporate clients in strategic sectors such as medical equipment and pharmaceuticals to sustain supply chains and limit downside risks.

The World Bank on Tuesday announced an initial $12 billion in immediate funds to assist countries grappling with the health and economic impacts of the coronavirus virus outbreak that has spread quickly from China to some 80 countries.

The World Bank on Tuesday announced an initial $12 billion in immediate funds to assist countries grappling with the health and economic impacts of the coronavirus virus outbreak that has spread quickly from China to some 80 countries. World Bank President David Malpass said there were still "many unknowns" about the fast-spreading virus and "much more" aid might be required, but he declined to elaborate. The announcement underscored escalating concern about the economic and human impact of the virus. Also read: WHO warns of global shortage of medical equipment to fight coronavirus The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday warned of a global shortage of protective equipment to fight the disease as well as price gouging as the death toll from the respiratory illness mounted. Also on Tuesday, the US Federal Reserve cut interest rates in an emergency move to try to prevent a global recession, and finance officials from the G7 group of rich countries said they were ready to adopt fiscal and monetary measures where appropriate. Malpass called on countries to coordinate their actions on a regional and international level, saying the speed and breadth of the response would be critical to saving lives. "We're announcing today an initial package of immediate support that will make available up to $12 billion to respond to country requests for crisis financing of their immediate needs and also to lessen the tragic impacts of the crisis," he said. Also read: World's richest including Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates lose $444 billion in a week after global markets bleed "The point is to move fast; speed is needed to save lives," Malpass said during a teleconference with reporters. "There are scenarios where much more resources may be required. We’ll adapt our approach and resources as needed." The Bank's International Development Association, which helps the world's poorest countries, could also receive additional funds in the second quarter of 2020 if its Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility (PEF) is triggered, which has not occurred yet, Malpass said. That would not require global health officials to declare the outbreak a pandemic, he added. Poor countries with weak health systems were the most vulnerable in such outbreaks, he said, but past experience with Ebola and other outbreaks showed that taking the right measures quickly could lessen the transmission of the disease and save lives. He also cautioned countries against taking measures that would further limit trade. Some countries had already requested aid, Malpass said but declined to name them. The World Bank said the $12 billion in fast-track grants, loans and low-interest loans would help developing countries provide better access to health services, strengthen disease surveillance and bolster public health interventions, as well as work with the private sector to reduce the impact on economies. About $4 billion of the funding will be reprogrammed from other Bank instruments, officials said. The Bank said its International Finance Corporation (IFC) will work with commercial bank clients to expand trade finance and working capital lines as countries scramble to get needed supplies to contain the virus. The IFC will also work with corporate clients in strategic sectors such as medical equipment and pharmaceuticals to sustain supply chains and limit downside risks.

World Bank announces up to $12 billion in immediate funds for coronavirus

Coronavirus continued to spread to new countries with New Zealand, Belarus and Nigeria confirming their first case as the World Health Organization warns that coronavirus has a pandemic potential

WHO: Coronavirus has a Pandemic Potential

A new antibiotic that kills some of the most dangerous drug-resistant bacteria in the world has been discovered by with the help of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/no-question-artificial-intelligence-needs-to-be-regulated-sundar-pichai-275558">artificial intelligence</a> (AI) for the first time.

This powerful antibiotic compound&nbsp;has been discovered by the scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with the help of a&nbsp;machine-learning algorithm.

It was published in the journal Cell.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/no-question-artificial-intelligence-needs-to-be-regulated-sundar-pichai-275558">No question artificial intelligence needs to be regulated: Sundar Pichai</a>

In laboratory tests, the drug killed many of the world’s most problematic disease-causing bacteria, including some strains that are resistant to all known antibiotics.&nbsp;

The compound was&nbsp;named halicin by the researchers.

Tests showed that the drug wiped out a range of&nbsp;antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria, including Acinetobacter baumannii and Enterobacteriaceae, two of the three high-priority pathogens that the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world-health-organization-says-e-cigarettes-undoubtedly-harmful-238779">World Health Organization</a>&nbsp;ranks as ''critical''&nbsp;for new antibiotics to target.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/common-antibiotics-linked-to-increased-risk-of-birth-defects-study-281731">Common antibiotics linked to increased risk of birth defects: Study</a>

''In terms of antibiotic discovery, this is absolutely a first,''&nbsp;said Regina Barzilay, a senior researcher on the project and specialist in machine learning at <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-hackers-target-universities-in-us-to-steal-research-about-maritime-technology-report-201580">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</a> (MIT).

''I think this is one of the more powerful antibiotics that has been discovered to date,” added James Collins, a bioengineer on the team at MIT. “It has remarkable activity against a broad range of antibiotic-resistant pathogens.”

To find new antibiotics, the researchers first trained a ''deep learning''&nbsp;algorithm to identify the sorts of molecules that kill bacteria.&nbsp;

Researchers ran about 6,000 molecules through their artificial intelligence program, searching for those that could&nbsp;block the growth of the bug E. coli.&nbsp;

Tests on bacteria collected from patients showed that halicin killed Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bug that causes TB, and strains of Enterobacteriaceae that are resistant to carbapenems, a group of antibiotics that are considered the last resort for such infections.

Halicin also cleared C difficile and multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infections in mice as well as an untreatable strain of a bacterium that commonly strikes soldiers in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghanistan-government-to-rebuild-temples-and-gurudwaras-280364">Afghanistan</a> within 24 hours.

The scientists aim to use the algorithm to design potent new antibiotics from scratch in future.

A new antibiotic that kills some of the most dangerous drug-resistant bacteria in the world has been discovered by with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) for the first time.

A new antibiotic that kills some of the most dangerous drug-resistant bacteria in the world has been discovered by with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) for the first time. This powerful antibiotic compound has been discovered by the scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with the help of a machine-learning algorithm. It was published in the journal Cell. Also read: No question artificial intelligence needs to be regulated: Sundar Pichai In laboratory tests, the drug killed many of the world’s most problematic disease-causing bacteria, including some strains that are resistant to all known antibiotics. The compound was named halicin by the researchers. Tests showed that the drug wiped out a range of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria, including Acinetobacter baumannii and Enterobacteriaceae, two of the three high-priority pathogens that the World Health Organization ranks as ''critical'' for new antibiotics to target. Also read: Common antibiotics linked to increased risk of birth defects: Study ''In terms of antibiotic discovery, this is absolutely a first,'' said Regina Barzilay, a senior researcher on the project and specialist in machine learning at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). ''I think this is one of the more powerful antibiotics that has been discovered to date,” added James Collins, a bioengineer on the team at MIT. “It has remarkable activity against a broad range of antibiotic-resistant pathogens.” To find new antibiotics, the researchers first trained a ''deep learning'' algorithm to identify the sorts of molecules that kill bacteria. Researchers ran about 6,000 molecules through their artificial intelligence program, searching for those that could block the growth of the bug E. coli. Tests on bacteria collected from patients showed that halicin killed Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bug that causes TB, and strains of Enterobacteriaceae that are resistant to carbapenems, a group of antibiotics that are considered the last resort for such infections. Halicin also cleared C difficile and multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infections in mice as well as an untreatable strain of a bacterium that commonly strikes soldiers in Afghanistan within 24 hours. The scientists aim to use the algorithm to design potent new antibiotics from scratch in future.

Powerful antibiotic discovered using artificial intelligence for first time

India ranked 77th on a sustainability index that takes into account per capita carbon emissions and ability of children in a nation to live healthy lives and was placed 131st on a ranking that measures the best chance at survival and well-being for children, according to a UN-backed report.

The report was released on Wednesday by a commission of over 40 child and adolescent health experts from around the world.

It was commissioned by the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world-health-organisation-warns-overseas-virus-spread-may-be-tip-of-the-iceberg-279719">World Health Organization</a> (WHO), UN Children's Fund (<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/unicef-deputy-director-justin-forsyth-steps-down-33748">UNICEF</a>) and the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/walk-to-work-clean-your-house-live-longer-lancet-20535/amp">Lancet medical journal</a>.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/wef-ranks-india-at-62nd-place-on-inclusive-development-index-30347">WEF ranks India at 62nd place on Inclusive Development Index behind Pakistan</a>

In the report assessing the capacity of 180 countries to ensure that their youngsters can survive and thrive, India ranks 77th on the Sustainability Index and 131 on the Flourishing Index, it said.

Flourishing is the geometric mean of Surviving and Thriving.

For Surviving, the authors selected maternal survival, survival in children younger than 5 years old, suicide, access to maternal and child health services, basic hygiene and sanitation, and lack of extreme poverty.

For Thriving, the domains were educational achievement, growth and nutrition, reproductive freedom, and protection from violence.

Under the Sustainability Index, the authors noted that promoting today's national conditions for children to survive and thrive must not come at the cost of eroding future global conditions for children's ability to flourish.

The Sustainability Index ranks countries on excess carbon emissions compared with the 2030 target. This provides a convenient and available proxy for a country's contribution to sustainability in future.

The report noted that under realistic assumptions about possible trajectories towards sustainable greenhouse gas emissions, models predict that global carbon emissions need to be reduced from 397 gigatonnes&nbsp;to 228 gigatonnes per year by 2030 to maintain even a 66 per cent chance of keeping global warming below 15C.

It said that the world's survival depended on children being able to flourish, but no country is doing enough to give them a sustainable future.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-landmark-assessment-un-body-suggests-ways-to-avoid-food-insecurity-worst-impacts-of-climate-change-241492">In landmark assessment, UN body suggests ways to avoid food insecurity, worst impacts of climate change</a>

"No country in the world is currently providing the conditions we need to support every child to grow up and have a healthy future," said Anthony Costello, Professor of Global Health and Sustainability at University College London, one of the lead authors of the report.

"Especially, they're under immediate threat from climate change and from commercial marketing, which has grown hugely in the last decade," said Costello&nbsp;former <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world-health-organisation-warns-overseas-virus-spread-may-be-tip-of-the-iceberg-279719">WHO</a> Director of Mother, Child and Adolescent health.

Norway leads the table for survival, health, education and nutrition rates followed by South Korea and the Netherlands. Central African Republic, Chad and Somalia come at the bottom.

However, when taking into account per capita CO2 emissions, these top countries trail behind, with Norway 156th, the Republic of Korea 166th and the Netherlands 160th.

Each of the three emits 210 per cent more CO2 per capita than their 2030 target, the data shows, while the US, Australia, and Saudi Arabia are among the 10 worst emitters. The lowest emitters are Burundi, Chad and Somalia.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/climate-change-will-affect-half-of-south-asia-reduce-economic-growth-world-bank-147749">Climate change will affect half of South Asia, India to be worst-hit: World Bank</a>

According to the report, the only countries on track to beat CO2 emission per capita targets by 2030, while also performing fairly ? within the top 70 ? on child flourishing measures are: Albania, Armenia, Grenada, Jordan, Moldova, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Uruguay and Vietnam.

"More than 2 billion people live in countries where development is hampered by humanitarian crises, conflicts, and natural disasters, problems increasingly linked with climate change," said Minister Awa Coll-Seck from Senegal, Co-Chair of the commission.

The report also highlights the distinct threat posed to children from harmful marketing.

Evidence suggests that children in some countries see as many as 30,000 advertisements on television alone in a single year, while youth exposure to vaping (e-cigarettes) advertisements increased by more than 250 per cent in the US over two years, reaching more than 24 million young people.

Studies in Australia, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand and the US&nbsp;among many others&nbsp;have shown that self-regulation has not hampered commercial ability to advertise to children.

Children's exposure to commercial marketing of junk food and sugary beverages is associated with purchase of unhealthy foods and overweight and obesity, linking predatory marketing to the alarming rise in childhood obesity, it said.

The number of obese children and adolescents increased from 11 million in 1975 to 124 million in 2016 ? an 11-fold increase, with dire individual and societal costs, the report said.

To protect children, the authors call for a new global movement driven by and for children.

Specific recommendations include stopping CO2 emissions with the utmost urgency, to ensure children have a future on this planet; placing children and adolescents at the centre of global efforts to achieve sustainable development, the report said.

New policies and investment in all sectors to work towards child health and rights; incorporating children's voices into policy decisions and tightening national regulation of harmful commercial marketing, supported by a new Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, it said.

India ranked 77th on a sustainability index that takes into account per capita carbon emissions and ability of children in a nation to live healthy lives and was placed 131st on a ranking that measures the best chance at survival and well-being for children, according to a UN-backed report.

India ranked 77th on a sustainability index that takes into account per capita carbon emissions and ability of children in a nation to live healthy lives and was placed 131st on a ranking that measures the best chance at survival and well-being for children, according to a UN-backed report. The report was released on Wednesday by a commission of over 40 child and adolescent health experts from around the world. It was commissioned by the World Health Organization (WHO), UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Lancet medical journal. Also read: WEF ranks India at 62nd place on Inclusive Development Index behind Pakistan In the report assessing the capacity of 180 countries to ensure that their youngsters can survive and thrive, India ranks 77th on the Sustainability Index and 131 on the Flourishing Index, it said. Flourishing is the geometric mean of Surviving and Thriving. For Surviving, the authors selected maternal survival, survival in children younger than 5 years old, suicide, access to maternal and child health services, basic hygiene and sanitation, and lack of extreme poverty. For Thriving, the domains were educational achievement, growth and nutrition, reproductive freedom, and protection from violence. Under the Sustainability Index, the authors noted that promoting today's national conditions for children to survive and thrive must not come at the cost of eroding future global conditions for children's ability to flourish. The Sustainability Index ranks countries on excess carbon emissions compared with the 2030 target. This provides a convenient and available proxy for a country's contribution to sustainability in future. The report noted that under realistic assumptions about possible trajectories towards sustainable greenhouse gas emissions, models predict that global carbon emissions need to be reduced from 397 gigatonnes to 228 gigatonnes per year by 2030 to maintain even a 66 per cent chance of keeping global warming below 15C. It said that the world's survival depended on children being able to flourish, but no country is doing enough to give them a sustainable future. Also read: In landmark assessment, UN body suggests ways to avoid food insecurity, worst impacts of climate change "No country in the world is currently providing the conditions we need to support every child to grow up and have a healthy future," said Anthony Costello, Professor of Global Health and Sustainability at University College London, one of the lead authors of the report. "Especially, they're under immediate threat from climate change and from commercial marketing, which has grown hugely in the last decade," said Costello former WHO Director of Mother, Child and Adolescent health. Norway leads the table for survival, health, education and nutrition rates followed by South Korea and the Netherlands. Central African Republic, Chad and Somalia come at the bottom. However, when taking into account per capita CO2 emissions, these top countries trail behind, with Norway 156th, the Republic of Korea 166th and the Netherlands 160th. Each of the three emits 210 per cent more CO2 per capita than their 2030 target, the data shows, while the US, Australia, and Saudi Arabia are among the 10 worst emitters. The lowest emitters are Burundi, Chad and Somalia. Also read: Climate change will affect half of South Asia, India to be worst-hit: World Bank According to the report, the only countries on track to beat CO2 emission per capita targets by 2030, while also performing fairly ? within the top 70 ? on child flourishing measures are: Albania, Armenia, Grenada, Jordan, Moldova, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Uruguay and Vietnam. "More than 2 billion people live in countries where development is hampered by humanitarian crises, conflicts, and natural disasters, problems increasingly linked with climate change," said Minister Awa Coll-Seck from Senegal, Co-Chair of the commission. The report also highlights the distinct threat posed to children from harmful marketing. Evidence suggests that children in some countries see as many as 30,000 advertisements on television alone in a single year, while youth exposure to vaping (e-cigarettes) advertisements increased by more than 250 per cent in the US over two years, reaching more than 24 million young people. Studies in Australia, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand and the US among many others have shown that self-regulation has not hampered commercial ability to advertise to children. Children's exposure to commercial marketing of junk food and sugary beverages is associated with purchase of unhealthy foods and overweight and obesity, linking predatory marketing to the alarming rise in childhood obesity, it said. The number of obese children and adolescents increased from 11 million in 1975 to 124 million in 2016 ? an 11-fold increase, with dire individual and societal costs, the report said. To protect children, the authors call for a new global movement driven by and for children. Specific recommendations include stopping CO2 emissions with the utmost urgency, to ensure children have a future on this planet; placing children and adolescents at the centre of global efforts to achieve sustainable development, the report said. New policies and investment in all sectors to work towards child health and rights; incorporating children's voices into policy decisions and tightening national regulation of harmful commercial marketing, supported by a new Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, it said.

India ranks 77th on sustainability, 131st in child flourishing index rankings: UN report

The World Health Organization(WHO) has renamed the deadly novel coronavirus - covid-19. It comes six weeks after the virus was first identified in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/race-against-time-china-battles-coronavirus-as-death-toll-crosses-1000-108-deaths-in-last-24-hours-280135">Also Read: China battles coronavirus as death toll crosses 1,000</a>

Over 1,110 people have lost their lives and more than 44,200 have been infected in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-journalist-reported-missing-list-of-whistleblowers-vanishing-grows-as-fast-as-coronavirus-280077">China</a>.

The director-general of the World Health Organization Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that having a name matters as it prevents the use of other names that can be inaccurate or stigmatising.

Watch Video:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-wuhan-coronavirus-could-infect-60-of-the-world-280145/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The WHO head added that the name did not refer to a geographical location, an animal, an individual or group of people.

The total cases of the coronavirus in China have now hit 44,653, according to Chinese health officials, including 2,015 new confirmed cases on February&nbsp;11. That was the lowest daily rise in new cases since January 30.

"A virus can have more powerful consequences than any terrorist action. If the world doesn't want to wake up and consider this enemy virus as public enemy number-1, I don't think we will learn from our lessons," he said.

WHO director general also said that the first vaccine for the novel coronavirus could be ready in 18 months. In China's&nbsp;Hubei province which is the epicentre of the virus reported 94 people deaths on Tuesday taking the death toll to 1,068 on Tuesday.

"The first vaccine could be ready in 18 months. So we have to do everything today using the available weapons to fight this virus while preparing for the long term using the preparations for the vaccines," Tedros added.

He welcomed participants, including scientists, to a global research and innovation forum to mobilise worldwide action as a response to the coronavirus.

"With 99% of cases in China, this remains very much an emergency for that country, but one that holds a very grave threat for the rest of the world," Tedros said, adding, "The detection of this small number of cases could be the spark that becomes a bigger fire. But for now it's only a spark. Our objective remains containment."

Meanwhile, World Health Organization director, Dr Sylvie Briand said that according to scientific studies, virus is similar to the one found in bats.

The World Health Organization(WHO) has renamed the deadly novel coronavirus - covid-19. It comes six weeks after the virus was first identified in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

The World Health Organization(WHO) has renamed the deadly novel coronavirus - covid-19. It comes six weeks after the virus was first identified in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Also Read: China battles coronavirus as death toll crosses 1,000 Over 1,110 people have lost their lives and more than 44,200 have been infected in China. The director-general of the World Health Organization Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that having a name matters as it prevents the use of other names that can be inaccurate or stigmatising. Watch Video: The WHO head added that the name did not refer to a geographical location, an animal, an individual or group of people. The total cases of the coronavirus in China have now hit 44,653, according to Chinese health officials, including 2,015 new confirmed cases on February 11. That was the lowest daily rise in new cases since January 30. "A virus can have more powerful consequences than any terrorist action. If the world doesn't want to wake up and consider this enemy virus as public enemy number-1, I don't think we will learn from our lessons," he said. WHO director general also said that the first vaccine for the novel coronavirus could be ready in 18 months. In China's Hubei province which is the epicentre of the virus reported 94 people deaths on Tuesday taking the death toll to 1,068 on Tuesday. "The first vaccine could be ready in 18 months. So we have to do everything today using the available weapons to fight this virus while preparing for the long term using the preparations for the vaccines," Tedros added. He welcomed participants, including scientists, to a global research and innovation forum to mobilise worldwide action as a response to the coronavirus. "With 99% of cases in China, this remains very much an emergency for that country, but one that holds a very grave threat for the rest of the world," Tedros said, adding, "The detection of this small number of cases could be the spark that becomes a bigger fire. But for now it's only a spark. Our objective remains containment." Meanwhile, World Health Organization director, Dr Sylvie Briand said that according to scientific studies, virus is similar to the one found in bats.

A virus can have more powerful consequences than any terrorist action: WHO

The head of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/coronavirus-outbreak-world-health-organisation-holds-briefing-279523">World Health Organization</a> on Tuesday warned the novel coronavirus was a "very grave threat" for the world as he opened a conference to combat the epidemic.

"With 99% of cases in China, this remains very much an emergency for that country, but one that holds a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/taiwan-says-china-feeding-world-health-organisation-wrong-information-about-virus-cases-on-island-279116">very grave threat</a> for the rest of the world," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in Geneva.

Some 400 scientists will review how the virus is transmitted and possible vaccines at the two-day forum. "What matters most is stopping the outbreak and saving lives. With your support, that's what we can do together," Tedros said.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world-health-organisation-warns-overseas-virus-spread-may-be-tip-of-the-iceberg-279719">World Health Organisation warns overseas virus spread may be 'tip of the iceberg'</a>

The virus, first identified in China on December 31, has killed more than 1,000 people, infected over 42,000 and reached some 25 countries.

Participants will also discuss the source of the virus, which is thought to have originated in bats and reached humans via another animal such as snakes or pangolins.

There is no specific treatment or vaccine against the virus, which can cause respiratory failure. Tedros, who has repeatedly urged countries affected to share their data, called for global "solidarity".

Also Watch:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/world-health-organization-press-briefing-on-deadly-ncov-279252">World Health Organization press briefing on deadly nCoV</a>

"That is especially true in relation to sharing of samples and sequences. To defeat this outbreak, we need open and equitable sharing, according to the principles of fairness and equity," he said.

"We hope that one of the outcomes of this meeting will be an agreed roadmap for research around which researchers and donors will align," Tedros said. Several companies and institutes in Australia, China, France, Germany and the United States are racing to develop a vaccine - a process that normally takes years.

Asked whether scientists from Taiwan would be allowed to take part in this week's Geneva conference, WHO officials said that they would do so but only online - along with colleagues from other parts of China.

While the WHO does not deal with Taiwan directly and only recognises Beijing, Taiwan was often allowed to attend annual assemblies and sideline meetings as an observer.

But in recent years it has been frozen out as Beijing takes an increasingly combative stance towards democratic Taiwan, which it considers its own territory.

The head of the World Health Organization on Tuesday warned the novel coronavirus was a "very grave threat" for the world as he opened a conference to combat the epidemic.

The head of the World Health Organization on Tuesday warned the novel coronavirus was a "very grave threat" for the world as he opened a conference to combat the epidemic. "With 99% of cases in China, this remains very much an emergency for that country, but one that holds a very grave threat for the rest of the world," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in Geneva. Some 400 scientists will review how the virus is transmitted and possible vaccines at the two-day forum. "What matters most is stopping the outbreak and saving lives. With your support, that's what we can do together," Tedros said. Also Read: World Health Organisation warns overseas virus spread may be 'tip of the iceberg' The virus, first identified in China on December 31, has killed more than 1,000 people, infected over 42,000 and reached some 25 countries. Participants will also discuss the source of the virus, which is thought to have originated in bats and reached humans via another animal such as snakes or pangolins. There is no specific treatment or vaccine against the virus, which can cause respiratory failure. Tedros, who has repeatedly urged countries affected to share their data, called for global "solidarity". Also Watch: World Health Organization press briefing on deadly nCoV "That is especially true in relation to sharing of samples and sequences. To defeat this outbreak, we need open and equitable sharing, according to the principles of fairness and equity," he said. "We hope that one of the outcomes of this meeting will be an agreed roadmap for research around which researchers and donors will align," Tedros said. Several companies and institutes in Australia, China, France, Germany and the United States are racing to develop a vaccine - a process that normally takes years. Asked whether scientists from Taiwan would be allowed to take part in this week's Geneva conference, WHO officials said that they would do so but only online - along with colleagues from other parts of China. While the WHO does not deal with Taiwan directly and only recognises Beijing, Taiwan was often allowed to attend annual assemblies and sideline meetings as an observer. But in recent years it has been frozen out as Beijing takes an increasingly combative stance towards democratic Taiwan, which it considers its own territory.

'Very Grave' global virus threat issued by WHO

Passenger tests aboard the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world%20-news-ten-passengers-aboard-a-cruise-ship-in-japan-test-positive-for-coronavirus-278655">Diamond Princess </a>cruise ship in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world%20-news-ten-passengers-aboard-a-cruise-ship-in-japan-test-positive-for-coronavirus-278655">Japan </a>confirmed at least 65 more cases of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world%20-news-ten-passengers-aboard-a-cruise-ship-in-japan-test-positive-for-coronavirus-278655">coronavirus </a>on Monday, according to the vessel's captain, as some passengers took to social media to warn against depression over their confinement.

The figure announced to passengers after a statement by the cruise operator put the new infections at 66, takes the tally on board to 135, showing a rapid rise in the outbreak on the ship docked in the port of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world%20-news-ten-passengers-aboard-a-cruise-ship-in-japan-test-positive-for-coronavirus-278655">Yokohama</a>.

Among the new cases are 45 Japanese and 11 Americans, the ship's operator, Princess Cruises, said in the earlier statement.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world%20-news-ten-passengers-aboard-a-cruise-ship-in-japan-test-positive-for-coronavirus-278655">Ten passengers aboard a cruise ship in Japan test positive for coronavirus</a>

"This is not news that anyone of us wanted to receive," the captain told passengers in a broadcast over speakers in their cabins.

"However, we have been also advised since we are in the early quarantine period of 14 days, it was not unexpected," he added.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world%20-news-ten-passengers-aboard-a-cruise-ship-in-japan-test-positive-for-coronavirus-278655">Japan</a>'s health ministry confirmed the 65 cases in a statement.

The Diamond Princess was placed in quarantine for two weeks upon arriving in Yokohama, south of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world%20-news-ten-passengers-aboard-a-cruise-ship-in-japan-test-positive-for-coronavirus-278655">Tokyo</a>, on February&nbsp;3, after a man who disembarked in Hong Kong was diagnosed with the virus.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/japan-to-quarantine-cruise-ship-on-which-coronavirus-patient-sailed-278445">Japan to quarantine cruise ship after Hong Kong man tests positive for coronavirus</a>

About 3,700 people are aboard the ship, which usually has a crew of 1,100 and a passenger capacity of 2,670. Passengers have been allowed on decks in shifts to get fresh air and encouraged to regularly take their temperature.

People who have been in close contact with newly confirmed cases on the ship face a longer quarantine than the originally planned period until February 19, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world-health-organisation-warns-overseas-virus-spread-may-be-tip-of-the-iceberg-279719">World Health Organization</a> said late on Sunday, without saying how many there were.

Japan's health ministry is recording infection counts on the ship and evacuee flights from China separately from the official tally. Domestic cases stand at 21.

Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Japan would send a fifth chartered flight to China's central city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus outbreak, to bring citizens home.

The disease has killed 908 people, chiefly in mainland China, and infected more than 40,000.

The UK-flagged Diamond Princess is managed by Princess Cruise Lines, one of the world’s largest cruise lines and a unit of Carnival Corp.

Passenger tests aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan confirmed at least 65 more cases of coronavirus on Monday, according to the vessel's captain, as some passengers took to social media to warn against depression over their confinement.

Passenger tests aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan confirmed at least 65 more cases of coronavirus on Monday, according to the vessel's captain, as some passengers took to social media to warn against depression over their confinement. The figure announced to passengers after a statement by the cruise operator put the new infections at 66, takes the tally on board to 135, showing a rapid rise in the outbreak on the ship docked in the port of Yokohama. Among the new cases are 45 Japanese and 11 Americans, the ship's operator, Princess Cruises, said in the earlier statement. Also read: Ten passengers aboard a cruise ship in Japan test positive for coronavirus "This is not news that anyone of us wanted to receive," the captain told passengers in a broadcast over speakers in their cabins. "However, we have been also advised since we are in the early quarantine period of 14 days, it was not unexpected," he added. Japan's health ministry confirmed the 65 cases in a statement. The Diamond Princess was placed in quarantine for two weeks upon arriving in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, on February 3, after a man who disembarked in Hong Kong was diagnosed with the virus. Also read: Japan to quarantine cruise ship after Hong Kong man tests positive for coronavirus About 3,700 people are aboard the ship, which usually has a crew of 1,100 and a passenger capacity of 2,670. Passengers have been allowed on decks in shifts to get fresh air and encouraged to regularly take their temperature. People who have been in close contact with newly confirmed cases on the ship face a longer quarantine than the originally planned period until February 19, the World Health Organization said late on Sunday, without saying how many there were. Japan's health ministry is recording infection counts on the ship and evacuee flights from China separately from the official tally. Domestic cases stand at 21. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Japan would send a fifth chartered flight to China's central city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus outbreak, to bring citizens home. The disease has killed 908 people, chiefly in mainland China, and infected more than 40,000. The UK-flagged Diamond Princess is managed by Princess Cruise Lines, one of the world’s largest cruise lines and a unit of Carnival Corp.

At least 65 more coronavirus cases confirmed on cruise ship in Japan, captain says

Amid crisis on coronavirus, the World Health Organisation held a media briefing. As per the latest update, 722 people have already lost their lives.

Coronavirus Outbreak: World Health Organisation holds briefing

The World Health Organization held a press conference to brief media on deadly Coronavirus. Watch is here.

World Health Organization press briefing on deadly nCoV

China is providing the World Health Organization (WHO) with wrong information about the number of coronavirus cases in Taiwan, the island’s foreign ministry said on Thursday, after the WHO published incorrect case numbers earlier this week. Taiwan is not a WHO member because of China’s objections. Beijing says the island is a wayward Chinese province and not a country and is adequately represented in the organization by China.

Taiwan says China feeding wrong information to WHO

The World Health Organization has released two global reports of this year on World Cancer Day and the report is shocking for India.

1 in every 10 Indians will develop Cancer: WHO

Multiple governments across the world have started evacuating their citizens from China. Around 16 countries have now reported case of the virus and pressure is mounting on the World Health Organization to declare this a global health emergency.

WHO under pressure to declare Health Emergency

The head of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-cases-likely-to-rise-in-china-world-health-organisation-276391">World Health Organisation </a>said on Tuesday he was confident in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-virus-death-toll-passes-100-as-us-canada-issue-travel-warning-276958">China</a>'s ability to contain a new <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/discovery-of-a-cure-for-coronavirus-claimed-by-siddha-doctor-from-tamil-nadu-276986">coronavirus</a>&nbsp;that has killed 106 people and that he did not think foreigners should be evacuated,&nbsp;China's foreign ministry said.

A growing number of&nbsp;countries&nbsp;have said they will evacuate their citizens from Wuhan, a central city of 11 million people and the epicentre of the outbreak.

A chartered&nbsp;plane taking out <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-top-court-sides-with-trump-on-immigrant-welfare-benefits-276959">US</a>&nbsp;consulate staff was set to leave Wuhan on Wednesday, a spokeswoman at the US&nbsp;embassy in Beijing said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-outbreak-deadly-virus-continues-to-spread-outside-china-276966">Coronavirus outbreak: Deadly virus continues to spread outside China</a>

Some space was being offered to other US&nbsp;citizens.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/discovery-of-a-cure-for-coronavirus-claimed-by-siddha-doctor-from-tamil-nadu-276986">India</a> said it was preparing to evacuate its citizens from Hubei province, of which <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wuhan-mayor-vows-to-take-any-responsibility-for-city-lockdown-to-bring-epidemic-under-control-276963">Wuhan</a> is the capital.

Watch:&nbsp;Three suspected cases of coronavirus in New Delhi

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/three-suspected-cases-of-coronavirus-in-new-delhi-276997/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Concern is mounting about the impact of the coronavirus&nbsp;may have on the world's second-biggest economy amid travel bans and an extended <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/paris-cancels-lunar-new-year-parade-due-to-chinas-viral-outbreak-276669">Lunar New Year</a> holiday. Global stocks fell again, oil prices hit three-month lows and&nbsp;China's yuan currency dipped to its weakest in 2020.

The head of the&nbsp;WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in a meeting with State Councillor Wang Yi in Beijing, said he approved of the government's measures to curb the outbreak, the foreign ministry said.

"Tedros said the&nbsp;WHO&nbsp;does not advocate for&nbsp;countries&nbsp;to evacuate their citizens from&nbsp;China, adding there was no need to overreact," the foreign ministry said in a statement. "He said the&nbsp;WHO&nbsp;is confident in&nbsp;China's ability to prevent and control the epidemic."

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-news-wuhan-coronavirus-who-yet-to-decide-if-china-virus-is-a-global-health-emergency-276018">China coronavirus: WHO yet to decide if Wuhan virus is a global health emergency</a>

The&nbsp;WHO&nbsp;chief,&nbsp;who&nbsp;also met President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-can-win-the-battle-against-coronavirus-epidemic-presidnet-xi-jinping-276528">Xi Jinping</a>, was not available for comment. A&nbsp;WHO&nbsp;panel of 16 independent experts twice last week declined to declare an international emergency over the outbreak.

The flu-like&nbsp;virus&nbsp;has spread overseas, with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-imposes-visa-restriction-on-chinese-tourists-amid-coronavirus-outbreak-277052">Sri Lanka</a> and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/suspected-woman-linked-to-islamic-state-returned-to-germany-264251">Germany</a> the latest&nbsp;countries&nbsp;to be hit, but none of the 106 deaths has been&nbsp;outside&nbsp;China&nbsp;and all but six have been in the central city of Wuhan, where the&nbsp;virus&nbsp;emerged last month.

Thailand confirmed six more infections among visitors from&nbsp;China, taking its tally to 14, the highest&nbsp;outside&nbsp;China.

Far eastern Russian regions would close their borders with&nbsp;China&nbsp;until February&nbsp;7, Tass news agency said, citing the regional government.

Chinese-ruled <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/hong-kong-confirms-8th-case-of-coronavirus-hubei-residents-banned-276979">Hong Kong</a> said cross-border ferry services would stop.

Watch: Hong Kong confirms 8th case of coronavirus, Hubei residents banned

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/hong-kong-confirms-8th-case-of-coronavirus-hubei-residents-banned-276979/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Wuhan, where the&nbsp;virus&nbsp;apparently jumped to a human in an illegal wildlife market, has been all but put under quarantine, with a lockdown on transport and bans on gatherings.

Tens of millions of others in Hubei live under some form of travel curbs set up to try to stifle the&nbsp;virus.

The&nbsp;WHO&nbsp;said only one of the overseas cases involved human-to-human transmission.

"That’s still one case too many. But we’re encouraged that so far we have not seen more human-to-human transmission&nbsp;outside&nbsp;China," the&nbsp;WHO&nbsp;said on Twitter.

"We’re monitoring the outbreak constantly."

Tuesday's toll of 106 dead was up from 81 the day before. The number of total confirmed cases in&nbsp;China&nbsp;surged to 4,515 as of Monday from 2,835 the previous day, the National Health Commission said.

Incubation&nbsp;estimates

Analysts said&nbsp;China's travel and tourism would be the hardest-hit sectors, together with retail and liquor sales, though healthcare and online shopping were seen as likely outperformers.

Officially known as "2019-nCoV", the coronavirus&nbsp;can cause pneumonia, but it is too early to know just how dangerous it is and how easily it spreads.

Some health experts question whether&nbsp;China&nbsp;can contain it.

Chinese health officials say the incubation period could range from one to 14 days, and the&nbsp;virus&nbsp;is infectious during that time. The&nbsp;WHO&nbsp;estimated an incubation period of two to 10 days.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/coronavirus-attack-deadly-virus-outbreaks-across-the-world-which-created-panic-in-the-past-276895">Coronavirus attack: Deadly virus outbreaks across the world which created panic in the past</a>

US&nbsp;President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/impeachment-trial-of-donald-trump-all-star-defence-team-scared-of-going-near-bolton-276987">Donald Trump</a> on Monday offered&nbsp;China&nbsp;whatever help it needed, while the State Department said Americans should reconsider visiting&nbsp;China.

Canada, which has two infections and 19 potential cases, warned its citizens to avoid travel to Hubei.

Authorities in Hubei, home to nearly 60 million people, have been the focus of public outrage on&nbsp;China's heavily censored social media over what many see as a bungled initial response to the&nbsp;virus.

In rare public self-criticism, Mayor Zhou Xianwang said Wuhan's management of the crisis was "not good enough" and indicated he was willing to resign.

China's ambassador to the United Nations, following a meeting with UN Secretary-General <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-nations-chief-antonio-guterres-urges-iran-to-stick-to-nuclear-deal-after-breaching-cap-232148">Antonio Guterres</a>, said his government put "paramount importance" on the epidemic and was working with the international community in a spirit of "openness, transparency and scientific coordination".

Communist Party-ruled&nbsp;China&nbsp;has been eager to seem open in its handling of the epidemic after it was heavily criticised for efforts to cover up an epidemic of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) that killed about 800 people globally in 2002-2003.

SARS, which was also believed to have originated in a wildlife market, led to a 45 percent&nbsp;plunge in air passenger demand in Asia. The travel industry is more reliant on Chinese travellers now, and&nbsp;China's share of the global economy has quadrupled.

With Chinese markets shut for the holiday, investors were selling the offshore yuan and the Australian dollar as a proxy for risk. Oil was also under pressure as fears about the wider fallout grew.

The US&nbsp;S&amp;P 500 closed down nearly 1.6 percent.

The head of the World Health Organisation said on Tuesday he was confident in China's ability to contain a new coronavirus that has killed 106 people and that he did not think foreigners should be evacuated, China's foreign ministry said.

The head of the World Health Organisation said on Tuesday he was confident in China's ability to contain a new coronavirus that has killed 106 people and that he did not think foreigners should be evacuated, China's foreign ministry said. A growing number of countries have said they will evacuate their citizens from Wuhan, a central city of 11 million people and the epicentre of the outbreak. A chartered plane taking out US consulate staff was set to leave Wuhan on Wednesday, a spokeswoman at the US embassy in Beijing said. Also read: Coronavirus outbreak: Deadly virus continues to spread outside China Some space was being offered to other US citizens. India said it was preparing to evacuate its citizens from Hubei province, of which Wuhan is the capital. Watch: Three suspected cases of coronavirus in New Delhi Concern is mounting about the impact of the coronavirus may have on the world's second-biggest economy amid travel bans and an extended Lunar New Year holiday. Global stocks fell again, oil prices hit three-month lows and China's yuan currency dipped to its weakest in 2020. The head of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in a meeting with State Councillor Wang Yi in Beijing, said he approved of the government's measures to curb the outbreak, the foreign ministry said. "Tedros said the WHO does not advocate for countries to evacuate their citizens from China, adding there was no need to overreact," the foreign ministry said in a statement. "He said the WHO is confident in China's ability to prevent and control the epidemic." Also read: China coronavirus: WHO yet to decide if Wuhan virus is a global health emergency The WHO chief, who also met President Xi Jinping, was not available for comment. A WHO panel of 16 independent experts twice last week declined to declare an international emergency over the outbreak. The flu-like virus has spread overseas, with Sri Lanka and Germany the latest countries to be hit, but none of the 106 deaths has been outside China and all but six have been in the central city of Wuhan, where the virus emerged last month. Thailand confirmed six more infections among visitors from China, taking its tally to 14, the highest outside China. Far eastern Russian regions would close their borders with China until February 7, Tass news agency said, citing the regional government. Chinese-ruled Hong Kong said cross-border ferry services would stop. Watch: Hong Kong confirms 8th case of coronavirus, Hubei residents banned Wuhan, where the virus apparently jumped to a human in an illegal wildlife market, has been all but put under quarantine, with a lockdown on transport and bans on gatherings. Tens of millions of others in Hubei live under some form of travel curbs set up to try to stifle the virus. The WHO said only one of the overseas cases involved human-to-human transmission. "That’s still one case too many. But we’re encouraged that so far we have not seen more human-to-human transmission outside China," the WHO said on Twitter. "We’re monitoring the outbreak constantly." Tuesday's toll of 106 dead was up from 81 the day before. The number of total confirmed cases in China surged to 4,515 as of Monday from 2,835 the previous day, the National Health Commission said. Incubation estimates Analysts said China's travel and tourism would be the hardest-hit sectors, together with retail and liquor sales, though healthcare and online shopping were seen as likely outperformers. Officially known as "2019-nCoV", the coronavirus can cause pneumonia, but it is too early to know just how dangerous it is and how easily it spreads. Some health experts question whether China can contain it. Chinese health officials say the incubation period could range from one to 14 days, and the virus is infectious during that time. The WHO estimated an incubation period of two to 10 days. Also see: Coronavirus attack: Deadly virus outbreaks across the world which created panic in the past US President Donald Trump on Monday offered China whatever help it needed, while the State Department said Americans should reconsider visiting China. Canada, which has two infections and 19 potential cases, warned its citizens to avoid travel to Hubei. Authorities in Hubei, home to nearly 60 million people, have been the focus of public outrage on China's heavily censored social media over what many see as a bungled initial response to the virus. In rare public self-criticism, Mayor Zhou Xianwang said Wuhan's management of the crisis was "not good enough" and indicated he was willing to resign. China's ambassador to the United Nations, following a meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said his government put "paramount importance" on the epidemic and was working with the international community in a spirit of "openness, transparency and scientific coordination". Communist Party-ruled China has been eager to seem open in its handling of the epidemic after it was heavily criticised for efforts to cover up an epidemic of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) that killed about 800 people globally in 2002-2003. SARS, which was also believed to have originated in a wildlife market, led to a 45 percent plunge in air passenger demand in Asia. The travel industry is more reliant on Chinese travellers now, and China's share of the global economy has quadrupled. With Chinese markets shut for the holiday, investors were selling the offshore yuan and the Australian dollar as a proxy for risk. Oil was also under pressure as fears about the wider fallout grew. The US S&P 500 closed down nearly 1.6 percent.

China says World Health Organization chief against virus-related evacuations, as countries plan pull-outs

The death toll in China due to coronavirus almost doubled in a day. The World Health Organization's (WHO) representative on January 23 said, "Trying to contain a city of 11 million people is new to science, it has not been tried before as a public health measure, so we cannot at this stage say it will or it will not work. If this is happening we will note carefully to what extent it is maintained (and) how long it can take."

WION Dispatch: Death toll in China due to coronavirus doubles in a day

The Chinese official investigating a pneumonia outbreak stemming from a new coronavirus said the disease can spread from person to person but can be halted with increased vigilance, as authorities on Tuesday confirmed the fourth death.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sars-like-virus-spreading-across-china-amid-140-new-cases-third-death-275342">Also read: SARS-like virus spreading across China amid 140 new cases, third death</a>

Zhong Nanshan said there was no danger of a repeat of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic that killed nearly 800 people globally during a 2002-2003 outbreak, which started in China, as long as precautions were taken. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-school-teacher-first-foreign-national-in-china-to-contracts-sars-like-virus-275467">Also read: Responding actively, made strict prevention plan — China on spread of SARS-like coronavirus</a> 
&nbsp;

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"It took only two weeks to identify the novel coronavirus," state news agency Xinhua quoted Zhong as saying late on Monday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/tracking-chinas-sars-like-coronavirus-275537">In Pics:&nbsp;Tracking China's SARS-like coronavirus</a>

The outbreak was still in its early stages and China had good surveillance and quarantine systems to help control it, he added.

The outbreak has spread from the central city of Wuhan to cities including Beijing and Shanghai, with more than 200 cases reported so far. Four cases have been reported outside China - in South Korea, Thailand and Japan.

Australia on Tuesday said it would screen passengers on flights from Wuhan amid rising concerns that the virus will spread globally as Chinese travellers take flights abroad for the Lunar New Year holiday starting this week.

Authorities around the globe, including in the United States and many Asian countries, have stepped up screening of travellers from Wuhan.

Chinese authorities confirmed a total of 217 cases of the virus in China as of 6 pm&nbsp;(1000 GMT) on Monday, state television reported 198 of which were in Wuhan.

A fourth person died on Jan. 19, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission said. The 89-year-old man, who had underlying health diseases including coronary heart disease, developed symptoms on Jan. 13 and was admitted to hospital five days later, it added.

Zhong, who is renowned in China for his work fighting SARS in 2003, confirmed that the virus can pass from person-to-person.

Fifteen medical workers in Wuhan had been diagnosed with pneumonia, with one other suspected case, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission said. Of the infected staff, one was in critical condition.

In Shanghai, officials on Tuesday confirmed a second case involving a 35-year-man who had visited Wuhan in early January and said they were monitoring four other suspected cases.

The virus causes a type of pneumonia and belongs to the same family of coronaviruses as SARS. Symptoms include fever and difficulty in breathing, which is similar to many other respiratory diseases and poses complications for screening efforts.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Monday an animal source appeared most likely to be the primary origin of the outbreak and that some "limited human-to-human transmission" occurred between close contacts.

The Geneva-based UN agency convened an emergency committee for Wednesday to assess whether the outbreak constitutes an international health emergency and what measures should be taken to manage it.

So far, the WHO has not recommended trade or travel restrictions, but a panel of independent experts could do so or make other recommendations to limit spread.

The Chinese official investigating a pneumonia outbreak stemming from a new coronavirus said the disease can spread from person to person but can be halted with increased vigilance, as authorities on Tuesday confirmed the fourth death.

The Chinese official investigating a pneumonia outbreak stemming from a new coronavirus said the disease can spread from person to person but can be halted with increased vigilance, as authorities on Tuesday confirmed the fourth death. Also read: SARS-like virus spreading across China amid 140 new cases, third death Zhong Nanshan said there was no danger of a repeat of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic that killed nearly 800 people globally during a 2002-2003 outbreak, which started in China, as long as precautions were taken. Also read: Responding actively, made strict prevention plan — China on spread of SARS-like coronavirus "It took only two weeks to identify the novel coronavirus," state news agency Xinhua quoted Zhong as saying late on Monday. In Pics: Tracking China's SARS-like coronavirus The outbreak was still in its early stages and China had good surveillance and quarantine systems to help control it, he added. The outbreak has spread from the central city of Wuhan to cities including Beijing and Shanghai, with more than 200 cases reported so far. Four cases have been reported outside China - in South Korea, Thailand and Japan. Australia on Tuesday said it would screen passengers on flights from Wuhan amid rising concerns that the virus will spread globally as Chinese travellers take flights abroad for the Lunar New Year holiday starting this week. Authorities around the globe, including in the United States and many Asian countries, have stepped up screening of travellers from Wuhan. Chinese authorities confirmed a total of 217 cases of the virus in China as of 6 pm (1000 GMT) on Monday, state television reported 198 of which were in Wuhan. A fourth person died on Jan. 19, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission said. The 89-year-old man, who had underlying health diseases including coronary heart disease, developed symptoms on Jan. 13 and was admitted to hospital five days later, it added. Zhong, who is renowned in China for his work fighting SARS in 2003, confirmed that the virus can pass from person-to-person. Fifteen medical workers in Wuhan had been diagnosed with pneumonia, with one other suspected case, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission said. Of the infected staff, one was in critical condition. In Shanghai, officials on Tuesday confirmed a second case involving a 35-year-man who had visited Wuhan in early January and said they were monitoring four other suspected cases. The virus causes a type of pneumonia and belongs to the same family of coronaviruses as SARS. Symptoms include fever and difficulty in breathing, which is similar to many other respiratory diseases and poses complications for screening efforts. The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Monday an animal source appeared most likely to be the primary origin of the outbreak and that some "limited human-to-human transmission" occurred between close contacts. The Geneva-based UN agency convened an emergency committee for Wednesday to assess whether the outbreak constitutes an international health emergency and what measures should be taken to manage it. So far, the WHO has not recommended trade or travel restrictions, but a panel of independent experts could do so or make other recommendations to limit spread.

China confirms person-to-person spread of the new virus as fourth death reported

A mysterious SARS-like virus has spread around China — including to Beijing — authorities said Monday, fuelling fears of a major outbreak as millions begin travelling for the Lunar New Year in humanity's biggest migration.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/what-we-know-about-new-coronavirus-outbreak-in-chinese-city-of-wuhan-275295">In pictures: What we know about new coronavirus outbreak in Chinese city of Wuhan</a> 
 
The new coronavirus strain, first discovered in the central city of Wuhan, has caused alarm because of its connection to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which killed nearly 650 people across mainland China and Hong Kong in 2002-2003.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-reports-new-cases-in-wuhan-virus-outbreak-275016">Also read: China reports new cases in Wuhan virus outbreak</a>

Wuhan has 11 million inhabitants and serves as a major transport hub, including during the annual Lunar New Year holiday which begins later this week and sees hundreds of millions of Chinese people travel across the country to visit family.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-warns-hospitals-worldwide-as-new-china-coronavirus-may-spread-further-274255">Also read: WHO warns hospitals worldwide over further spread of China's coronavirus</a> 
 
No human-to-human transmission has been confirmed so far, but authorities have previously said the possibility "cannot be excluded".

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A third person was confirmed to have died, and in Wuhan, 136 new cases were found over the weekend, the local health commission said.

Three cases have been reported overseas -- two in Thailand and one in Japan.

Health authorities in Beijing's Daxing district said two people who had travelled to Wuhan were treated for pneumonia linked to the virus and are in stable condition.

In Guangdong, a 66-year-old Shenzhen man was quarantined on January 11 after contracting a fever and showing other symptoms following a trip to visit relatives in Wuhan, the provincial health commission said in a statement. He is also in stable condition.

"Experts believe that the current epidemic situation is still preventable and controllable," the Guangdong health commission said.

A total of 201 people have now been diagnosed with the virus in China.

Detection measures

A seafood market is believed to be the centre of the outbreak in the city, but health officials have reported that some patients had no history of contact with the facility.

Scientists with the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis at Imperial College in London warned in a paper published Friday that the number of cases in the city was likely to be closer to 1,700, much higher than the number officially identified.

Wuhan deputy mayor Chen Xiexin said on state broadcaster CCTV at the weekend that infrared thermometers had been installed at airports, railway stations and coach stations across the city.

Chen said passengers with fevers were being registered, given masks and taken to medical institutions. Nearly 300,000 body temperature tests had been carried out, according to CCTV.

Authorities in Hong Kong have stepped up detection measures, including rigorous temperature checkpoints for inbound travellers from the Chinese mainland.

The United States said from Friday it would begin screening direct flights arriving from Wuhan at San Francisco airport and New York's JFK, as well as Los Angeles, where many flights connect.

Thailand said it was already screening passengers arriving in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket, and would soon introduce similar controls in the beach resort of Krabi.

In Wuhan, 170 people are still being treated at the hospital, including nine in critical condition, the city health commission said. The new patients are between 25 and 89 years old and their symptoms included fever, coughing and chest pain.

Guangdong's health authority said it was taking measures including intensifying its triage of fever at clinics and banning illegal wildlife sales.

A mysterious SARS-like virus has spread around China — including to Beijing — authorities said Monday, fuelling fears of a major outbreak as millions begin travelling for the Lunar New Year in humanity's biggest migration.

A mysterious SARS-like virus has spread around China — including to Beijing — authorities said Monday, fuelling fears of a major outbreak as millions begin travelling for the Lunar New Year in humanity's biggest migration. In pictures: What we know about new coronavirus outbreak in Chinese city of Wuhan The new coronavirus strain, first discovered in the central city of Wuhan, has caused alarm because of its connection to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which killed nearly 650 people across mainland China and Hong Kong in 2002-2003. Also read: China reports new cases in Wuhan virus outbreak Wuhan has 11 million inhabitants and serves as a major transport hub, including during the annual Lunar New Year holiday which begins later this week and sees hundreds of millions of Chinese people travel across the country to visit family. Also read: WHO warns hospitals worldwide over further spread of China's coronavirus No human-to-human transmission has been confirmed so far, but authorities have previously said the possibility "cannot be excluded". A third person was confirmed to have died, and in Wuhan, 136 new cases were found over the weekend, the local health commission said. Three cases have been reported overseas -- two in Thailand and one in Japan. Health authorities in Beijing's Daxing district said two people who had travelled to Wuhan were treated for pneumonia linked to the virus and are in stable condition. In Guangdong, a 66-year-old Shenzhen man was quarantined on January 11 after contracting a fever and showing other symptoms following a trip to visit relatives in Wuhan, the provincial health commission said in a statement. He is also in stable condition. "Experts believe that the current epidemic situation is still preventable and controllable," the Guangdong health commission said. A total of 201 people have now been diagnosed with the virus in China. Detection measures A seafood market is believed to be the centre of the outbreak in the city, but health officials have reported that some patients had no history of contact with the facility. Scientists with the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis at Imperial College in London warned in a paper published Friday that the number of cases in the city was likely to be closer to 1,700, much higher than the number officially identified. Wuhan deputy mayor Chen Xiexin said on state broadcaster CCTV at the weekend that infrared thermometers had been installed at airports, railway stations and coach stations across the city. Chen said passengers with fevers were being registered, given masks and taken to medical institutions. Nearly 300,000 body temperature tests had been carried out, according to CCTV. Authorities in Hong Kong have stepped up detection measures, including rigorous temperature checkpoints for inbound travellers from the Chinese mainland. The United States said from Friday it would begin screening direct flights arriving from Wuhan at San Francisco airport and New York's JFK, as well as Los Angeles, where many flights connect. Thailand said it was already screening passengers arriving in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket, and would soon introduce similar controls in the beach resort of Krabi. In Wuhan, 170 people are still being treated at the hospital, including nine in critical condition, the city health commission said. The new patients are between 25 and 89 years old and their symptoms included fever, coughing and chest pain. Guangdong's health authority said it was taking measures including intensifying its triage of fever at clinics and banning illegal wildlife sales.

SARS-like virus spreading across China amid 140 new cases, third death

What we know about new coronavirus outbreak in Chinese city of Wuhan

The United States will begin screening efforts at three US&nbsp;airports to detect travellers from the central Chinese city of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-reports-new-cases-in-wuhan-virus-outbreak-275016">Wuhan</a> who may have symptoms of a new respiratory virus that so far has killed two people and infected 45 more, public health officials said on Friday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/instances-of-binge-drinking-increasing-among-us-adults-study-275080">CDC</a>) said the screening at the San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles airports would begin on Friday and focus on travellers to the United States via direct or connecting flights from Wuhan.

So far, the new virus has spread outside of China to Japan and Thailand, and CDC officials said in a conference call with reporters that they expect more cases will be reported outside of China. The risk to Americans is deemed to be low, the CDC said.

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Health screenings of travelers arriving from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wuhan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Wuhan</a>, China is part of a layered approach used with other public health measures already in place to slow and reduce possible spread of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/2019nCOV?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#2019nCOV</a> into the United States. <a href="https://t.co/Ovg4CTFJWf">https://t.co/Ovg4CTFJWf</a>
— CDC (@CDCgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/CDCgov/status/1218252302647287808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Dr. Martin Cetron, director of the CDC's Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, said the CDC will be sending about 100 additional staff to the three airports, Los Angeles International, San Francisco International, and New York's John F. Kennedy International to supplement existing staff at quarantine stations located at those airports.

Under the screening procedures, travellers from Wuhan will be taken to a separate area in the airport, where they will complete a questionnaire and be checked for fever. Those with symptoms will be asked additional health and exposure-related questions and those needing more follow-up will be referred to a designated healthcare facility for more testing.

The CDC said it may adjust screening procedures as the outbreak investigation continues.

The Chinese virus is a coronavirus, a large family of viruses that can cause infections ranging from the common cold to severe acute respiratory syndrome, or <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mysterious-sars-like-virus-in-china-has-affected-hundreds-report-274962">SARS</a>, a highly infectious virus that originated in China in 2002 and eventually traveled to 37 countries, killing 774 people.

So far, health officials do not consider the new virus from China to be as lethal as SARS, but the investigation is evolving and much is still not known about whether the virus can spread easily from person to person.

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According to the latest predictions from <a href="https://twitter.com/CDCFlu?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CDCflu</a> forecasting experts, flu activity is likely to remain elevated through late January. A <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/fluvaccine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#fluvaccine</a> can be beneficial any time flu viruses are circulating, including after January: <a href="https://t.co/CeAX6Br1Xg">https://t.co/CeAX6Br1Xg</a>
— Dr. Nancy Messonnier (@DrNancyM_CDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrNancyM_CDC/status/1215036631020900353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
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"This is the stage of the investigation where we need to proceed cautiously and be prepared for any eventuality," Dr. Nancy Messonnier, a CDC expert in respiratory diseases, said on the conference call.

"It's highly plausible" that there will be a case in the United States, Messonnier said. "That is why we are moving forward with this screening."

China health officials report that most of the patients infected with the virus have had exposure to a large market where live animals were present, suggesting the virus is new and has jumped from animals to humans.

It is still not clear how well the virus can be transmitted, but there are indications of some limited spread from person-to-person, CDC officials said.

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Q: What is a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/coronavirus?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#coronavirus</a>? 
 
A: Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are known to cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) <a href="https://t.co/PKzKaO2yfK">https://t.co/PKzKaO2yfK</a> <a href="https://t.co/mhEa7LFVhx">pic.twitter.com/mhEa7LFVhx</a>
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) <a href="https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1218229883484155913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-reports-new-cases-in-wuhan-virus-outbreak-275016">World Health Organization</a> this week provided guidance to hospitals worldwide about infection prevention and control in case the new virus spreads. There is no specific treatment for the new virus, but antivirals are being considered.

The United States will begin screening efforts at three US airports to detect travellers from the central Chinese city of Wuhan who may have symptoms of a new respiratory virus that so far has killed two people and infected 45 more, public health officials said on Friday.

The United States will begin screening efforts at three US airports to detect travellers from the central Chinese city of Wuhan who may have symptoms of a new respiratory virus that so far has killed two people and infected 45 more, public health officials said on Friday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the screening at the San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles airports would begin on Friday and focus on travellers to the United States via direct or connecting flights from Wuhan. So far, the new virus has spread outside of China to Japan and Thailand, and CDC officials said in a conference call with reporters that they expect more cases will be reported outside of China. The risk to Americans is deemed to be low, the CDC said. Health screenings of travelers arriving from #Wuhan, China is part of a layered approach used with other public health measures already in place to slow and reduce possible spread of #2019nCOV into the United States. https://t.co/Ovg4CTFJWf — CDC (@CDCgov) January 17, 2020 × Dr. Martin Cetron, director of the CDC's Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, said the CDC will be sending about 100 additional staff to the three airports, Los Angeles International, San Francisco International, and New York's John F. Kennedy International to supplement existing staff at quarantine stations located at those airports. Under the screening procedures, travellers from Wuhan will be taken to a separate area in the airport, where they will complete a questionnaire and be checked for fever. Those with symptoms will be asked additional health and exposure-related questions and those needing more follow-up will be referred to a designated healthcare facility for more testing. The CDC said it may adjust screening procedures as the outbreak investigation continues. The Chinese virus is a coronavirus, a large family of viruses that can cause infections ranging from the common cold to severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, a highly infectious virus that originated in China in 2002 and eventually traveled to 37 countries, killing 774 people. So far, health officials do not consider the new virus from China to be as lethal as SARS, but the investigation is evolving and much is still not known about whether the virus can spread easily from person to person. According to the latest predictions from @CDCflu forecasting experts, flu activity is likely to remain elevated through late January. A #fluvaccine can be beneficial any time flu viruses are circulating, including after January: https://t.co/CeAX6Br1Xg — Dr. Nancy Messonnier (@DrNancyM_CDC) January 8, 2020 × "This is the stage of the investigation where we need to proceed cautiously and be prepared for any eventuality," Dr. Nancy Messonnier, a CDC expert in respiratory diseases, said on the conference call. "It's highly plausible" that there will be a case in the United States, Messonnier said. "That is why we are moving forward with this screening." China health officials report that most of the patients infected with the virus have had exposure to a large market where live animals were present, suggesting the virus is new and has jumped from animals to humans. It is still not clear how well the virus can be transmitted, but there are indications of some limited spread from person-to-person, CDC officials said. Q: What is a #coronavirus? A: Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are known to cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) https://t.co/PKzKaO2yfK pic.twitter.com/mhEa7LFVhx — World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) January 17, 2020 × The World Health Organization this week provided guidance to hospitals worldwide about infection prevention and control in case the new virus spreads. There is no specific treatment for the new virus, but antivirals are being considered.

US to screen passengers for new China coronavirus at three airports

A 74-year-old Chinese woman is being treated at a hospital in Thailand after showing symptoms of the new coronavirus which belongs to the S<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/japan-reports-first-case-of-mystery-virus-behind-china-outbreak-274738">ARS</a> (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) family.

According to Thailand’s health ministry, it is the second case reported which is related to the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-confirmed-in-chinese-traveller-who-arrived-in-thailand-who-274059">mysterious viral outbreak</a> in China. However, the minister advised&nbsp;the public not to panic as it hasn't spread in Thailand yet.

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<a href="https://t.co/bAMO8uyqlt">https://t.co/bAMO8uyqlt</a>
— WHO Thailand (@WHOThailand) <a href="https://twitter.com/WHOThailand/status/1218114578380283904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The woman was diagnosed at&nbsp;Suvarnabhumi Airport on January 13. Though she was at the epicentre in&nbsp;Wuhan, China when the virus was first seen,&nbsp;her medical condition is believed to be improving. &nbsp; 
 
The first case in Thailand was reported on January 8 when a Chinese traveller was confirmed to have mild pneumonia because of the new prototype of coronavirus. 
 
This new coronavirus has alarmed authorities&nbsp;after two people died in China and several were hospitalized. It has also been detected in Japan.

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NEW: Diagnostic detection of novel <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/coronavirus?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#coronavirus</a> (2019-nCoV) by real-time RT-PCR <a href="https://t.co/7ztSAA5Qwa">https://t.co/7ztSAA5Qwa</a> 
 
Note: This protocol has not been validated by WHO. 
More protocols will be posted when they become available <a href="https://t.co/h6M8G48ao6">pic.twitter.com/h6M8G48ao6</a>
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) <a href="https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1217474274937667584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-warns-hospitals-worldwide-as-new-china-coronavirus-may-spread-further-274255">World Health Organization</a> (WHO), on the other hand, said “much remains to be understood” about the coronavirus. 
 
Health Officials and authorities have ramped up screening in airports in Thailand with over&nbsp;1,300 passengers expected to arrive in Thailand daily from Wuhan to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

A 74-year-old Chinese woman is being treated at a hospital in Thailand after showing symptoms of the new coronavirus which belongs to the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) family.

A 74-year-old Chinese woman is being treated at a hospital in Thailand after showing symptoms of the new coronavirus which belongs to the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) family. According to Thailand’s health ministry, it is the second case reported which is related to the mysterious viral outbreak in China. However, the minister advised the public not to panic as it hasn't spread in Thailand yet. https://t.co/bAMO8uyqlt — WHO Thailand (@WHOThailand) January 17, 2020 × The woman was diagnosed at Suvarnabhumi Airport on January 13. Though she was at the epicentre in Wuhan, China when the virus was first seen, her medical condition is believed to be improving. The first case in Thailand was reported on January 8 when a Chinese traveller was confirmed to have mild pneumonia because of the new prototype of coronavirus. This new coronavirus has alarmed authorities after two people died in China and several were hospitalized. It has also been detected in Japan. NEW: Diagnostic detection of novel #coronavirus (2019-nCoV) by real-time RT-PCR https://t.co/7ztSAA5Qwa Note: This protocol has not been validated by WHO. More protocols will be posted when they become available pic.twitter.com/h6M8G48ao6 — World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) January 15, 2020 × The World Health Organization (WHO), on the other hand, said “much remains to be understood” about the coronavirus. Health Officials and authorities have ramped up screening in airports in Thailand with over 1,300 passengers expected to arrive in Thailand daily from Wuhan to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Thailand reports second case linked to mysterious virus from China

China has confirmed that the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-probes-mystery-pneumonia-outbreak-amid-sars-fears-271264">mysterious viral pneumonia</a> that has infected 59 people in the central part of the country, is not SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome).

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) had killed 349 in mainland China and 299 in Hong Kong in 2003. The virus had also infected more than 8,000 people. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world-health-organization-says-e-cigarettes-undoubtedly-harmful-238779">World Health Organization</a> (WHO)&nbsp;had announced that China was free from SARS in May 2004.

China's Wuhan city saw a mysterious viral infecting people which was widely reported referring to the contagious SARS virus.&nbsp;

China also ruled out the hypothesis of bird-flu and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and told reporters that investigation is still going on amid the health crisis.&nbsp;

"We have excluded several hypotheses, in particular, the fact that it is a flu, the avian flu, an adenovirus, SARS or Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)," the Wuhan health commission said.

Wuhan Health Commission added that the seven patients were seriously ill and were being quarantined. &nbsp;

The health commission’s official website stated that 163 people who had contact with those who were infected were being examined under medical observation and the commission was making constant efforts to identify the virus and its source.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Wuhan police arrested eight civilians for “publishing and forwarding false information on the internet without authentication” on the viral outbreak.

The city office has closed the seafood market for disinfection where the infection was first seen and cases were reported. &nbsp;

"The symptoms reported among the patients are common to several respiratory diseases, and pneumonia is common in the winter season," WHO said, adding that the concentration of cases should be handled "prudently".

The international health body also stated that the reported link to a wholesale fish market and the live animal market could be an indication that the virus might have originated from animals.

(Inputs from Agencies)

China has confirmed that the mysterious viral pneumonia that has infected 59 people in the central part of the country, is not SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome).

China has confirmed that the mysterious viral pneumonia that has infected 59 people in the central part of the country, is not SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome). Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) had killed 349 in mainland China and 299 in Hong Kong in 2003. The virus had also infected more than 8,000 people. The World Health Organization (WHO) had announced that China was free from SARS in May 2004. China's Wuhan city saw a mysterious viral infecting people which was widely reported referring to the contagious SARS virus. China also ruled out the hypothesis of bird-flu and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and told reporters that investigation is still going on amid the health crisis. "We have excluded several hypotheses, in particular, the fact that it is a flu, the avian flu, an adenovirus, SARS or Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)," the Wuhan health commission said. Wuhan Health Commission added that the seven patients were seriously ill and were being quarantined. The health commission’s official website stated that 163 people who had contact with those who were infected were being examined under medical observation and the commission was making constant efforts to identify the virus and its source. Meanwhile, Wuhan police arrested eight civilians for “publishing and forwarding false information on the internet without authentication” on the viral outbreak. The city office has closed the seafood market for disinfection where the infection was first seen and cases were reported. "The symptoms reported among the patients are common to several respiratory diseases, and pneumonia is common in the winter season," WHO said, adding that the concentration of cases should be handled "prudently". The international health body also stated that the reported link to a wholesale fish market and the live animal market could be an indication that the virus might have originated from animals. (Inputs from Agencies)

Mysterious viral pneumonia infects several in China

International donors pledged $14 billion to fight diseases including AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis on Thursday (October 10) at a Global Fund summit in the French city of Lyon.

International donors pledge $14 bln to fight AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis at Lyon summit

The world is backsliding in the fight against measles, which can disable or kill, especially children, with a record number of cases recorded up to August only since 2006 and nearly three times as many cases than in July 2018 at that time, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday. The biggest outbreaks of the highly contagious disease -- one person with measles can spread it up to 18 non-immunized other people -- are raging in the Democratic Republic of Congo (155,460 cases), Madagascar (127,454) and Ukraine (54,246) it said.

Global measles cases three times higher than last year - WHO

Every region in the world, except the Americas, is experiencing an increase in the number of cases of measles, a vaccine-preventable disease that can kill or disable children, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday.

The WHO's Kate O'Brien put the blame on weak health systems and misinformation about vaccines and called on social media outlets and communities to make sure information about preventing the highly contagious disease was accurate.

"We are backsliding, we are on the wrong track," O'Brien, director of WHO's department of immunisation, vaccines and biologicals, told a news briefing.

"We have a worrying trend that all regions are experiencing an increase in measles except for the region of the Americas, which has seen a small decline."

Nearly three times as many cases were reported from January to July this year than in the same period in 2018, the WHO said.

Nearly 365,000 cases have been reported globally this year, the highest figure since 2006, it said, noting that they represent only a fraction of the 6.7 million suspected cases. Measles caused an estimated 109,000 deaths in 2017, its most recent figures show.

The biggest outbreaks are raging in the Democratic Republic of Congo (155,460 cases), Madagascar (127,454) and Ukraine (54,246), it said.

Europe has also lost ground, with four countries stripped of their "measles-free" status in 2018 - Albania, Czech Republic, Greece and Britain, it said.

The WHO figures did not include a specific breakdown of numbers for the Americas region.

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The United States has recorded 1,215 measles cases across 30 states in its worst outbreak since 1992, federal health officials said on Monday. 
Health experts say the virus has spread among school-age children whose parents declined to give them the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, which confers immunity to the disease.

Trust in vaccines - among the world's most effective and widely used medical products - is highest in poorer countries but weaker in wealthier ones where scepticism has allowed outbreaks of diseases such as measles to persist, a global study found in June.

"We do see misinformation as an increasing threat," O'Brien said.&nbsp;

"We are calling on social media providers, communities, leaders, people who speak out, to be sure you are communicating accurate, valid, scientifically credible information."

In the 53 countries of Europe, 90,000 measles cases were recorded in the first half of this year, already more than that for all of 2018, said Siddhartha Datta, from the WHO's regional office for Europe.

Ukraine, which accounts for more than half of the cases, is implementing a robust response, he said.&nbsp;

"The ministry of health is doing targeted immunisation campaigns ... They are also doing school-based vaccination, high-risk vaccination of military recruits and health care workers."

Every region in the world, except the Americas, is experiencing an increase in the number of cases of measles, a vaccine-preventable disease that can kill or disable children, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday.

Every region in the world, except the Americas, is experiencing an increase in the number of cases of measles, a vaccine-preventable disease that can kill or disable children, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday. The WHO's Kate O'Brien put the blame on weak health systems and misinformation about vaccines and called on social media outlets and communities to make sure information about preventing the highly contagious disease was accurate. "We are backsliding, we are on the wrong track," O'Brien, director of WHO's department of immunisation, vaccines and biologicals, told a news briefing. "We have a worrying trend that all regions are experiencing an increase in measles except for the region of the Americas, which has seen a small decline." Nearly three times as many cases were reported from January to July this year than in the same period in 2018, the WHO said. Nearly 365,000 cases have been reported globally this year, the highest figure since 2006, it said, noting that they represent only a fraction of the 6.7 million suspected cases. Measles caused an estimated 109,000 deaths in 2017, its most recent figures show. The biggest outbreaks are raging in the Democratic Republic of Congo (155,460 cases), Madagascar (127,454) and Ukraine (54,246), it said. Europe has also lost ground, with four countries stripped of their "measles-free" status in 2018 - Albania, Czech Republic, Greece and Britain, it said. The WHO figures did not include a specific breakdown of numbers for the Americas region. The United States has recorded 1,215 measles cases across 30 states in its worst outbreak since 1992, federal health officials said on Monday. Health experts say the virus has spread among school-age children whose parents declined to give them the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, which confers immunity to the disease. Trust in vaccines - among the world's most effective and widely used medical products - is highest in poorer countries but weaker in wealthier ones where scepticism has allowed outbreaks of diseases such as measles to persist, a global study found in June. "We do see misinformation as an increasing threat," O'Brien said. "We are calling on social media providers, communities, leaders, people who speak out, to be sure you are communicating accurate, valid, scientifically credible information." In the 53 countries of Europe, 90,000 measles cases were recorded in the first half of this year, already more than that for all of 2018, said Siddhartha Datta, from the WHO's regional office for Europe. Ukraine, which accounts for more than half of the cases, is implementing a robust response, he said. "The ministry of health is doing targeted immunisation campaigns ... They are also doing school-based vaccination, high-risk vaccination of military recruits and health care workers."

Global measles cases three times higher than last year: WHO

Microplastics contained in drinking water pose a "low" risk to human health at current levels, but more research is needed to reassure consumers, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday. Studies over the past year on plastic particles detected in tap and bottled water have sparked public concerns but the limited data appear reassuring, the UN agency said its first report on potential health risks associated with ingestion.

Plastic particles in drinking water present 'low' risk - WHO

Microplastics contained in drinking water pose a "low" risk to human health at current levels, but more research is needed to reassure consumers, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday.

Water with microplastics is safe: World Health Organization (WHO)

The second case of Ebola was detected in the eastern <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/first-ebola-patient-in-eastern-congos-main-city-dies-236497">Congolese city of Goma</a> on Tuesday, the Provincial Minister of North Kivu, Valerien Mbalikwirand, said.

The case increases concern the virus could establish a foothold in the densely populated area close to the Rwandan border.

Goma's first Ebola case was detected in mid-July, prompting the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world-health-organization-says-e-cigarettes-undoubtedly-harmful-238779">World Health Organization</a> (WHO) to warn that the spread of the disease could accelerate. The epidemic has killed more than 1,700 people since it was declared almost a year ago, becoming the second-worst outbreak on record.

The latest person with the disease started developing symptoms on July 22, after arriving from a mining area outside the city, a health official said.

Health officials believe the patient, a man, is not connected to the first case in Goma.

The epidemiologist in charge of the Ebola response team, Jean Jacques Muyembe, said response teams began de-contaminating the areas where the patient had passed through and that vaccinations would start tomorrow.

"We already have response teams in the field to, first of all, disinfect the victims home and also the health centre through which he passed. We have already established a list of high-risk contacts and as early as tomorrow we will start to compile a list of contacts, and as early as tomorrow these contacts will be vaccinated with the vaccine we have here," Muyembe said.

He said, unlike the first case, the latest patient will be able to receive appropriate treatment in Goma as a facility has been opened in the city, which is more than 350 kilometres (220 miles) south of where the outbreak was first detected.

Goma has been preparing for Ebola to arrive in the city for a year, setting up hand-washing stations and making sure moto-taxi drivers do not share helmets. 
&nbsp;

The second case of Ebola was detected in the eastern Congolese city of Goma on Tuesday, the Provincial Minister of North Kivu, Valerien Mbalikwirand, said. The case increases concern the virus could establish a foothold in the densely populated area close to the Rwandan border.

The second case of Ebola was detected in the eastern Congolese city of Goma on Tuesday, the Provincial Minister of North Kivu, Valerien Mbalikwirand, said. The case increases concern the virus could establish a foothold in the densely populated area close to the Rwandan border. Goma's first Ebola case was detected in mid-July, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to warn that the spread of the disease could accelerate. The epidemic has killed more than 1,700 people since it was declared almost a year ago, becoming the second-worst outbreak on record. The latest person with the disease started developing symptoms on July 22, after arriving from a mining area outside the city, a health official said. Health officials believe the patient, a man, is not connected to the first case in Goma. The epidemiologist in charge of the Ebola response team, Jean Jacques Muyembe, said response teams began de-contaminating the areas where the patient had passed through and that vaccinations would start tomorrow. "We already have response teams in the field to, first of all, disinfect the victims home and also the health centre through which he passed. We have already established a list of high-risk contacts and as early as tomorrow we will start to compile a list of contacts, and as early as tomorrow these contacts will be vaccinated with the vaccine we have here," Muyembe said. He said, unlike the first case, the latest patient will be able to receive appropriate treatment in Goma as a facility has been opened in the city, which is more than 350 kilometres (220 miles) south of where the outbreak was first detected. Goma has been preparing for Ebola to arrive in the city for a year, setting up hand-washing stations and making sure moto-taxi drivers do not share helmets.

Second Ebola case detected in eastern Congo's main city

Electronic cigarettes are "undoubtedly harmful" and should be regulated, the WHO said Friday as it warned against the use of vaping products by smokers trying to quit their deadly habit.

The growing popularity of e-cigarettes, battery-powered devices that enable users to inhale addictive nicotine liquids, has raised fears among policymakers worldwide of a new gateway addiction for young people.

While vaping exposes users to lower levels of toxins than smoking, the World Health Organization said the devices still pose "health risks" to users.

"Although the specific level of risk associated with ENDS (electronic nicotine delivery systems) has not yet been conclusively estimated, ENDS are undoubtedly harmful and should, therefore, be subject to regulation," the WHO said in a new report on the global smoking epidemic.

There was also "insufficient evidence" to support claims of their effectiveness in assisting smokers trying to quit conventional cigarettes, it said.

"In most countries where they are available, the majority of e-cigarette users continue to use e-cigarettes and cigarettes concurrently, which has little to no beneficial impact on health risk and effects," the report said.

Big tobacco companies have been aggressively marketing e-cigarette and heated tobacco products in recent years as they seek new customers.

They argue such products are far less dangerous than traditional cigarettes and can help some smokers completely switch to "safer" alternatives. &nbsp;

But the WHO warned misinformation spread by the tobacco industry about e-cigarettes was "a present and real threat."

As well as nicotine, e-cigarettes also contained metal-laced aerosols, which Vinayak Prasad, who leads the WHO's Tobacco Free Initiative, said, "are known to damage the heart, all of them are known to damage the lungs."

"They're also now looking at the long-term effect whether it can even cause cancer, but it's not very well established," Prasad told AFP.&nbsp;

Restrictions on the use of e-cigarettes around the world is increasing. San Francisco last month banned the sale and manufacture of the products.&nbsp;

China, home to nearly a third of the world's tobacco smokers, is also planning to regulate the vaping devices.

More effort was needed to help smokers quit, the WHO said in the report, noting only "30 per cent of the world's population have access to appropriate tobacco cessation services," such as counselling, telephone hotlines and medication.&nbsp;

Without assistance, only four per cent of attempts to stop smoking succeed.&nbsp;

Tobacco claims more than eight million lives each year either from direct use or second-hand smoke, according to the WHO.

While the number of users has declined slightly since 2007, it remains stubbornly high at 1.4 billion, the vast majority of the men.

"People who quit tobacco can live longer, healthier and more productive lives," the WHO said.

Electronic cigarettes are "undoubtedly harmful" and should be regulated, the WHO said Friday as it warned against the use of vaping products by smokers trying to quit their deadly habit.

Electronic cigarettes are "undoubtedly harmful" and should be regulated, the WHO said Friday as it warned against the use of vaping products by smokers trying to quit their deadly habit. The growing popularity of e-cigarettes, battery-powered devices that enable users to inhale addictive nicotine liquids, has raised fears among policymakers worldwide of a new gateway addiction for young people. While vaping exposes users to lower levels of toxins than smoking, the World Health Organization said the devices still pose "health risks" to users. "Although the specific level of risk associated with ENDS (electronic nicotine delivery systems) has not yet been conclusively estimated, ENDS are undoubtedly harmful and should, therefore, be subject to regulation," the WHO said in a new report on the global smoking epidemic. There was also "insufficient evidence" to support claims of their effectiveness in assisting smokers trying to quit conventional cigarettes, it said. "In most countries where they are available, the majority of e-cigarette users continue to use e-cigarettes and cigarettes concurrently, which has little to no beneficial impact on health risk and effects," the report said. Big tobacco companies have been aggressively marketing e-cigarette and heated tobacco products in recent years as they seek new customers. They argue such products are far less dangerous than traditional cigarettes and can help some smokers completely switch to "safer" alternatives. But the WHO warned misinformation spread by the tobacco industry about e-cigarettes was "a present and real threat." As well as nicotine, e-cigarettes also contained metal-laced aerosols, which Vinayak Prasad, who leads the WHO's Tobacco Free Initiative, said, "are known to damage the heart, all of them are known to damage the lungs." "They're also now looking at the long-term effect whether it can even cause cancer, but it's not very well established," Prasad told AFP. Restrictions on the use of e-cigarettes around the world is increasing. San Francisco last month banned the sale and manufacture of the products. China, home to nearly a third of the world's tobacco smokers, is also planning to regulate the vaping devices. More effort was needed to help smokers quit, the WHO said in the report, noting only "30 per cent of the world's population have access to appropriate tobacco cessation services," such as counselling, telephone hotlines and medication. Without assistance, only four per cent of attempts to stop smoking succeed. Tobacco claims more than eight million lives each year either from direct use or second-hand smoke, according to the WHO. While the number of users has declined slightly since 2007, it remains stubbornly high at 1.4 billion, the vast majority of the men. "People who quit tobacco can live longer, healthier and more productive lives," the WHO said.

World Health Organization says e-cigarettes 'undoubtedly harmful'

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Congo's Ebola outbreak an international health emergency. Watch full video to know more.

Ebola outbreak in Congo declared as international health emergency

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