A 66-year-old Chinese national in Singapore was confirmed to be infected with the Wuhan virus on Jan. 23.
He is currently isolated at Singapore General Hospital and is in stable condition.
First confirmed case of Wuhan virus in S'pore
According to the Ministry of Health (MOH), the man from Wuhan arrived in Singapore with nine others on Jan. 20.
The 10 of them stayed at Shangri-La's Rasa Sentosa Resort.
The carrier reportedly had a sore throat on the flight to Singapore, and developed fever and cough the next day.
He went to SGH on Jan. 22 and was isolated immediately after being diagnosed with pneumonia.
His 37-year-old son is also a suspect case.
The other eight travellers have not been quarantined and have left Singapore. MOH has informed the authorities of the destination country.
MOH added that, separately, another 53-year-old Chinese woman has come up positive in preliminary tests but it has not been confirmed if she has been infected by the coronavirus which originated from Wuhan.
There is no evidence that the virus has spread beyond these two groups.
MOH has also updated that in total there have been 28 suspect cases in Singapore aged between one and 78 years old. Of these, seven of them are confirmed to be clear of the virus.
Health advisory from MOH
MOH has issued a health advisory for members of the public to take note in response to the virus outbreak.
All travellers to China are advised to monitor their health closely and seek medical attention promptly if they feel unwell, and also inform their doctor of their travel history.
Members of the public should adopt the following precautions at all times:
- Avoid contact with live animals including poultry and birds, and consumption of raw and undercooked meats;
- Avoid close contact with people who are unwell or showing symptoms of illness;
- Observe good personal hygiene;
- Practise frequent hand washing with soap (e.g. before handling food or eating, after going to toilet, or when hands are dirtied by respiratory secretions after coughing or sneezing);
- Wear a mask if you have respiratory symptoms such as a cough or runny nose;
- Cover your mouth with a tissue paper when coughing or sneezing, and dispose the soiled tissue paper in the rubbish bin immediately; and
- Seek medical attention promptly if you are feeling unwell.
In response to the first confirmed case of Wuhan virus in Singapore, PM Lee assured that Singapore has been preparing for such a scenario for a long time — ever since SARS.
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Top image via Wikipedia, Hotels.com