On Saturday, the government health ministry of Canada reported the first presumed case in Canada of a patient with the so-called Wuhan virus, officially known as Novel Coronavirus 2019-nCoV.
Coronavirus has infected more than 1,400 people worldwide, most in and around Wuhan, China's third-largest city.
Also on Saturday, Australia confirmed its first four cases of the new coronavirus. On Friday, Malaysia confirmed four cases, France reported Europe’s first three.
Health authorities around the world are rushing to prevent a pandemic.
Toronto Public Health received notification of the first presumptive confirmed case of coronavirus in a Canadian resident who just got backfrom Wuhan, China's third-largest city in western Hubei province, which is the epicenter of the viral outbreak.
“The individual is stable and is hospitalized” the statement added.
From Reuters, on Canada's Wuhan virus patient zero:
The individual arrived in Toronto on Jan. 22 and was hospitalized the next day after developing symptoms of respiratory illness.
The victim is a man in his 50s and Ontario health officials said he took private transportation home after getting down at Toronto airport.
Ontario health officials said his family members have been put into self isolation, though the government declined to give the number of people in the family.
Read more at Reuters:
Canada identifies first presumptive confirmed case of coronavirus
Previously on Boing Boing:
Death toll in China from Wuhan virus now 41, with 1,000+ infected globally, 2 cases in U.S.
First electron microscopic images of the novel coronavirus in China [CDC.gov, public domain, 1/24/2020]
