Death Resulting from Severe Respiratory Disease Due to Novel Coronavirus Infection in Saudi Arabia Reported Again; CDC Keeps Close Watch over the Epidemic Development and Reinforces Border Quarantine. Doctors are Urged to Stay Alert and Strengthen Reporting. 

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), Department of Health, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported one new confirmed case of novel coronavirus infection today (March 7). The patient is a 69-year-old male in Saudi Arabia. Upper respiratory tract symptoms appeared around February 5. He was admitted to an intensive care unit on February 10 for treatment, and died on February 19. It is the 14th case of severe respiratory disease caused by novel coronavirus infection worldwide. According to the investigation of Saudi Arabia’s health department, the patient had no recent travel history and no contact with animals; the case is not related to the cases and cluster infections reported earlier. Existing evidence showed an increased possibility of human-to-human transmission, but no consistent expansion of human-to-human transmission is found currently, and the overall epidemic risk remains unchanged. The CDC reminds tour managers, tour guides and outgoing travelers to ensure proper self-protection, and doctors to maintain ened vigilance and strengthen reporting of suspected cases. The CDC will continue to closely watch over the epidemic development and reinforce border quarantine measures. The CDC convened a meeting of experts on February 27, 2013 to step up risk assessment and work out contingency plans. Experts in the meeting affirmed the CDC’s earlier preventive work against this disease, and suggest that the CDC should continue the border quarantine measures at airports, make timely news releases and send letters to medical professionals to provide the latest information on the international epidemic situation and alert citizens and doctors regarding the situation. They also urge doctors to strengthen reporting of cases in four categories: severe pneumonia with unknown cause, cluster cases of pneumonia, pneumonia of medical personnel, and patients suffering acute respiratory tract disease with travel record to the Middle East, in order to broaden the scope of surveillance and detection. From April 2012 till now, 14 cases of novel coronavirus infection have been reported worldwide (with 8 deaths); they comprise seven cases in Saudi Arabia (with five deaths), two cases in Jordan (with two deaths), four cases in the U.K. (with one death), and one case in Germany. There are three known cases of cluster infections, which are a family cluster in Saudi Arabia, a medical personnel cluster in Jordan, and a family cluster in the U.K. respectively. Three suspected cases of severe respiratory tract infection of novel coronavirus have been reported in Taiwan since September 2012, but all were denied after lab tests. Furthermore, the scope of surveillance has been expanded to carry out lab tests on 109 specimens of pneumonia with unknown cause sent by hospitals, and the results show that infection of novel coronavirus is denied. Infection of novel coronavirus is a respiratory tract infection with an incubation period of seven to ten days. Symptoms of confirmed cases include: fever, coughing, shortness of breath and dyspnea. The CDC urges citizens to stay alert and pay attention to personal hygiene and hand cleanliness if they are traveling to the Middle East, to avoid going to places with crowds or poor ventilation as much as possible, and to refrain from close contact with people having symptoms of respiratory tract disease. People arriving at Taiwan from the Middle East shall take the initiative to report to the quarantine personnel upon arrival if they have a fever or symptoms of acute respiratory tract infection, and cooperate with the quarantine personnel regarding inspection and being sent to hospital where specimens will be taken and medical assessment made. They should also wear a general surgical mask, consult a doctor, receive treatment as soon as possible and immediately inform medical personnel of their travel history once fever or symptoms of acute respiratory tract infection appear after they go home. The CDC will keep a close surveillance over the international epidemic development, obtain the relevant timely information and continue carrying out the novel coronavirus prevention-related work according to the WHO recommendations, as well as the conclusions of the meeting of experts. Flexible adjustments to the relevant preventive measures will also be made in the future depending on the epidemic development and the evidence garnered. For relevant information, people are welcome to visit the CDC website (http://www.cdc.gov.tw) or call the public reporting and care hotline 1922.