Hundreds sick, several killed: Health leaders to decide whether coronavirus is global health crisis

Precautionary measures have been implemented at Vancouver International Airport as the number of cases of coronavirus rises. Greg Harper has been speaking to travellers.

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The number of people killed in China by an outbreak of the Wuhan coronavirus has now risen to as many as 17.

With hundreds of cases in several countries and a rising death toll, health leaders from around the world are deciding whether the outbreak should be declared a global health crisis at a World Health Organization emergency meeting in Geneva on Wednesday.

It comes a day after North America’s first confirmed case of the virus, in Washington state.

Doctor Isaac Bogoch, an infectious diseases specialist out of the University of Toronto, said declaring the new coronavirus a global health crisis would coordinate better communication between countries.

“It makes things a lot easier to coordinate public health responses and usually get things under control a lot quicker than if everyone’s working as individuals,” he explained.

The virus is said to have originated in Wuhan, China, where the burden of infection is likely higher than places like Canada or the U.S., he added.

“We know that everyday we hear of more and more cases in China, and what’s likely happening is that these cases are certainly reflective of ill individuals,” Bogoch said. “But, there’s probably a lot of other individuals that are ill, but we’re just not accounting for in China.”

He believes one of the reason it’s on our radar now is because of how many cases have been “exported” to other countries.

With the Lunar New Year and its accompanying festivals nearing, experts fear the virus could spread further.

“We’re going to see a lot more travellers, both nationally within China and internationally, so I think it’s pretty safe to assume that this epidemic will be grumbling along, at least for the foreseeable future,” Bogoch said.

Experts confirmed earlier this week the virus can be spread through human-to-human contact.

However, given the information we currently have about the virus, Bogoch doesn’t think Canadians should be worried.

“It’s unlikely that this infection, currently, causes a very severe infection in the majority of people affected by it,” he said, adding the Wuhan coronavirus isn’t likely as dangerous as other viruses, like SARS.

“Additionally, Canada has good experience with managing imported infectious diseases,” Bogoch noted, pointing to the country’s response to the SARS outbreak in the early 2000s.

At the federal, provincial, and even local levels, he believes there are good systems in place to manage infectious disease outbreaks.

B.C.’s Health Minister has said the risk to British Columbians is low, however, beefed up screening for early detection at airports, including Vancouver International and Toronto Pearson, has been implemented.

Countries in Asia and elsewhere have started to implement additional screening measures in order to catch people carrying to new coronavirus. These measures include body temperature checks at some airports, railway stations, and highways.

Meanwhile, the Public Health Agency of Canada has issued a travel advisory for central China.

Doctors say routine sanitation and hygiene measures are the best way to protect yourself, no different than with any other type of influenza, and if you feel unwell, avoid contact with others.

While there has been a spike in the number of cases reported, officials have said it’s too early to compare the new coronavirus to other viruses like SARS or MERS — Middle East respiratory syndrome — when it comes to determining how lethal it might be. The spike has been attributed to better detection and monitoring measures.

There is currently no vaccine for the Wuhan coronavirus.

-With files from The Associated Press

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