New coronavirus suspected in China’s pneumonia outbreak among children

A mysterious outbreak of pneumonia that has infected dozens of children in China may be caused by a new strain of coronavirus, a family of viruses that can cause severe respiratory diseases such as SARS and MERS, according to Chinese authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO).

The outbreak was first reported in the central city of Wuhan in late December 2020, and has since grown to 59 cases, 11 of which are considered critical. One person, a 61-year-old man with underlying health conditions, has died from the infection. Most of the cases have been linked to a seafood market in Wuhan, which has been closed and disinfected.

However, some of the patients have denied visiting the market, and a married couple was among the confirmed cases, raising the possibility of human-to-human transmission. The WHO said it had seen data from China that suggested the spike in respiratory illnesses was due to Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia, RSV and flu, but it also said there may have been limited human-to-human transmission of the new coronavirus within families.

The new coronavirus was identified by a team of experts led by Xu Jianguo, who told the official Xinhua news agency that preliminary tests indicated the virus was similar to the one that causes SARS, but not identical. Coronaviruses are a large group of viruses that can infect animals and humans, and can cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases.

The outbreak has sparked concern among health authorities and the public, especially in Asia, where memories of the 2002-2003 SARS epidemic that originated in China and killed nearly 800 people worldwide are still fresh. The U.S. State Department and the Canadian government have issued travel advisories for their citizens visiting Wuhan, urging them to avoid contact with animals, animal markets or animal products, and to seek medical care if they feel sick.

The Chinese government has been transparent and cooperative in sharing information and samples of the virus with the WHO and other countries, according to the WHO. The organization said it was closely monitoring the situation and would share more details as they become available. It also said it was not recommending any specific measures for travellers or trade restrictions at this point.