'Curb the Spread': China Steps Up Effort to Contain Wuhan Virus

Following the recent confirmation that the mysterious pneumonia-like virus can be passed between humans, Chinese health officials are exerting more effort to contain it.

Following Chinese President Xi Jinping's order to "curb the spread" on Monday, Wuhan officials announced that they will cancel the celebration of the Lunar New Year, the busiest travel period in the country, as a new measure to prevent an epidemic. They have also installed more thermal monitors and screening areas in public areas.

The People's Daily, a local media outlet, also reported that private vehicles going in and out of the city are being inspected to know if they carry live poultry or wild animals. Health inspectors believed that the virus came from seafood or live animals sold in the public market.

Tour agencies are also banned from taking clients from Wuhan.

As of Tuesday, there were 307 reported cases all over the country. Wuhan Municipal Health Commission confirmed another two deaths, pushing the total death to six.

A Slow Response?

Despite the added efforts, fear for the possible deadly epidemic instilled since the Chinese government failed to put sufficient measures immediately. The infection was first detected in mid-December, yet infrared temperature screening areas were only installed almost one month later.

The mysterious virus, which is reported to be on the same family as a severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (SARS), has also spread to other Asian countries, such as Thailand, Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines.

Taiwan also confirmed one case on Tuesday: a woman traveling from Wuhan who said she felt ill after stepping off her flight.

Australian authorities also reported that a man who just returned from Wuhan was quarantined for showing some symptoms of the new disease.

A study of Imperial College London previously said that the Chinese authorities might have "grossly underestimated" the number of infections in Wuhan. Based on the flight and population data provided by China, there might have been at least 1,700 cases in Wuhan, said lead author Neil Ferguson, a disease outbreak scientist.

This report echoes Australia's chief medical officer Brendan Murphy's announcement on Tuesday. According to him, the virus has at least a week-long incubation period, so he urged everyone to be vigilant about potential symptoms.

Global Effort

Since the virus was first reported, multiple international countries have expanded their effort to prevent it from spreading among their people. After all, Wuhan is among the major transportation hub in China, and its airport along has dozens of overseas connections.

Along with many Asian countries, several airports in the United States have also installed temperature screening for incoming passengers from Wuhan.

The US National Institutes of Health said that they're working on a vaccine, but it could more than a year before it became available.

Peter Hotez, a vaccine scientist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, also said that scientists in Texas, New York, and China have joined forces to develop a vaccine.

The World Health Organization has announced that they will have an emergency meeting on Wednesday to decide whether the virus is an "international concern" and to come up with strategies to contain it.