The mysterious pneumonia outbreak that started in Wuhan, China has sparked worldwide concern in recent times.
While Singapore has yet to see an official case of the disease, there have been 3 suspected cases as of Thursday (16 Jan). Thankfully, all of them tested negative for the virus.
On Friday (17 Jan), the Ministry of Health (MOH) was notified of 2 more people suspected of contracting the disease, bringing the number of such cases to 5.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) announced this via a Facebook post. You can read it in full here.
According to the post, the 2 new suspected cases involve a 64-year-old man and a 61-year-old woman. Both suspects are Singaporeans and had previously travelled to Wuhan.
They, however, did not visit the seafood wholesale market that has been linked to the pneumonia cluster.
The suspects have been admitted for further medical assessment and treatment. Their conditions are currently stable but have been isolated as a precautionary measure.
Investigations are currently ongoing.
In the same post, MOH warned that Singapore will likely see more suspected cases linked to the Wuhan pneumonia outbreak which will require further investigation.
In light of this, they also urge members of the public to practice good hygiene and remain vigilant.
Those returning from Wuhan should also monitor their health conditions and seek medical attention ASAP should they feel unwell.
The mysterious pneumonia outbreak started sometime last Dec, with symptoms of the disease first appearing from as early as 8 Dec.
A wholesale animal and fish market with over 1,000 stores has been identified as the ‘epicentre’ of the epidemic, prompting suspicions that the disease could be caused by a virus from animal sources.
Since then, 2 patients have died as a result of the disease, both in the city of Wuhan.
There are 48 cases worldwide at the time of writing:
International scientists, however, believe that the outbreak is much more severe than initially thought, estimating around 1,723 cases as of 12 Jan, reports Channel NewsAsia (CNA).
While we await the results of the investigations, let’s hope the 2 new suspected cases are not related to the pneumonia outbreak in Wuhan.
If you are returning from the affected area or know someone else who is, remind them to be extra vigilant and seek medical treatment immediately should they feel unwell.
Featured image adapted from Visit Singapore.
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