BEIJING, Jan 20 (Reuters) – China’s National Health Commission (NHC) said that as of Monday, there have been 571 confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in the country, with 17 deaths, and that experts are trying to determine the origin of the virus.
The NHC said that the 17 fatalities from the virus were all in the central Chinese province of Hubei, and that the youngest victim was 48 years old, while the oldest was 89.
The NHC said that so far the virus has spread to all 31 provincial-level regions in mainland China, as well as Hong Kong and Macao, and that 97 patients have been discharged from hospital after recovery.
The NHC said that a total of 12,167 people who have had close contact with infected patients are under medical observation, and that 4,985 of them have been released from observation.
The NHC said that experts are still trying to determine the origin of the virus, and that they are conducting genetic sequencing and epidemiological investigations.
The NHC said that it has sent a team of experts to Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, to investigate the outbreak and to provide guidance on prevention and control measures.
The NHC said that it has also issued a notice to all provincial and municipal health commissions, urging them to strengthen monitoring and early warning systems for the virus, and to improve their response capabilities.
The NHC said that it will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide updates as they become available..
