Bloomberg: The Coronavirus May Be ‘Disease X’ Health Experts Warned About
The World Health Organization cautioned years ago that a mysterious “disease X” could spark an international contagion. The new coronavirus, with its ability to quickly morph from mild to deadly, is emerging as a contender.
From recent reports about the stealthy ways the so-called Covid-19 virus spreads and maims, a picture is emerging of an enigmatic pathogen whose effects are mainly mild, but which occasionally -- and unpredictably -- turns deadly in the second week. In less than three months, it’s infected almost 78,000 people, mostly in China, and killed more than 2,300. Emerging hot spots in South Korea, Iran and Italy have stoked further alarm.
“Whether it will be contained or not, this outbreak is rapidly becoming the first true pandemic challenge that fits the disease X category,” Marion Koopmans, head of viroscience at Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, and a member of the WHO’s emergency committee, wrote Wednesday in the journal Cell.
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WNU Editor: China is still under lock-down .... China braces for inevitable big hit to economy from virus, says Xi (Reuters). South Korea has declared a "red alert" .... Coronavirus latest: South Korea declares red alert after rapid spike in cases (DW). Italy has declared a state of emergency .... Italy imposes draconian rules to stop spread of coronavirus (The Guardian). And it looks like Iran has lost control of the situation .... Iran reports highest coronavirus death toll outside of China (France 24). On top of that it looks like the measures that have been employed to stop this outbreak have been inadequate .... Fears 14-day coronavirus quarantine is two weeks too short after Chinese pensioner took 27 days to show symptoms (Daily Mail). Bottom line. Covid-19 may not be "Disease X", but it sure is acting like one.
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