As more cities are reporting cases of the Wuhan coronavirus, more information about the mystery virus is being discovered.
Latest information puts the death toll in China at 25 while the number of confirmed cases has risen to 830.
Chinese health expert: Virus has seven-day incubation period
A doctor from an expert team of Chinese health authorities, Gao Zhancheng, claimed that the virus has an incubation period of about seven days, on average.
Japanese media NHK reported that he made the claim during an interviewed aired on a China Central Television (CCTV) programme on Tuesday (Jan. 21)
According to Gao, those with the virus usually develop symptoms between two and 12 days.
He added that the main symptoms include fever and dry cough. Some patients developed shortness of breath or chest pains within three to five days. Others were struck with respiratory failure or shock.
What are the symptoms of the Wuhan coronavirus?
So far, these are the observed symptoms of the Wuhan coronavirus, which have been very helpfully illustrated by CNN International:
Common symptoms include:
- Headache,
- Malaise (general feeling of discomfort),
- Runny nose
- Cough or sore throat
- Muscle pain
More severe symptoms include:
- High fever (above 38°C)
- Trouble breathing
- Pneumonia
- Sepsis blood (infection)
In very extreme cases, the virus can lead to death. To date, China has reported 25 deaths from the virus. It has also been confirmed that the virus can spread between humans.
Some cases in China didn't display signs of fever
Bloomberg reported that five of the cases who died did not display signs of fever. Instead, they had breathing difficulty, chest tightness, and cough. This information was released by China’s National Health Commission.
This is worrying as many cities, including Singapore, use temperature screening on visitors entering from Wuhan via Changi Airport. So there is a possibility that some infected persons may enter under the radar.
The Ministry of Health advises all members of the public to practise good personal hygiene such as proper hand-washing. If you are sick and have travel history to Wuhan, you should seek medical attention immediately.
Top image from REUTERS/Stringer CHINA OUT