Military medical staff deployed in Wuhan amid coronavirus outbreak

China has reportedly deployed 450 military medical staff to Wuhan which is stricken by a SARS-like virus that has already killed 41 people and infected thousands. According to a state media outlet, the medics arrived in the city on military aircraft on January 24, and will soon be dispatched to hospitals with large numbers of infected patients. The team consists of staff with some experienced in combating SARS or Ebola and it is also composed of experts in respiratory health, infectious diseases, hospital infection control and intensive care. 

In a bid to treat patients, the Chinese city has also started to build a hospital with space for 1,000 beds. According to the municipal authorities, the hospital will be erected on a 25,000-square-metre lot is scheduled for completion by February 3. Meanwhile, Wuhan, the epidemic centre of a new virus, has designated seven hospitals to concentrate the infected patients.

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Coronavirus, which has already infected thousands of people and reportedly killed 41 people, still does not yet constitute a global emergency, the World Health Organisation reportedly said on January 24. While speaking to an international media outlet, WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the organisation is still not declaring a public health emergency of international concern as it is an emergency in China, but it has not yet become a global health emergency.  

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Precautionary measures

In a bid to take precautionary measures, China has also locked down ten cities, including Wuhan, Huanggang, Ezhou, Zhejiang, Qianjiang, suspending all public transport to contain the deadly virus. According to international media reports, the virus has further spread to Hong Kong, Bangkok, Tokyo, South Korea, Beijing, Shanghai, Vietnam, Taiwan, US, France, Nepal and Singapore. The mayor of the city of Wuhan has also urged citizens not to travel outside China during the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday and the authorities have further issued a travel advisory warning in the backlash of coronavirus. 

The Indian embassy in Beijing has also issued a travel advisory for people visiting India from China. The embassy said that travellers should avoid close contact with people who are unwell or showing symptoms of illness. It also asked all travellers from China, especially from Wuhan city, to monitor their health closely.

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