SEOUL (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th January, 2020) South Korea on Monday confirmed the first case of a pneumonia-like illness of a new type that appears to have originated in China, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.
According to KCDC, a Chinese woman suffered a fever and respiratory problems upon arrival at Incheon international airport from China's Wuhan city on January 19. The woman is currently in quarantine and receiving treatment.
Earlier in January, South Korea requested information from China about the new coronavirus after the first patient with similar symptoms and suspected infection was registered in the country. However, testing revealed that the patient's condition was not caused by the new virus.
The new strain was first reported in Wuhan in early January. Those infected reportedly display symptoms typical of pneumonia and other acute respiratory diseases. The outbreak was confirmed to be that of a new type of coronavirus last week and airports across the world have stepped up measures to monitor passengers for the infection.
Earlier in the day, the Chinese health authorities reported that two new cases of the new coronavirus infection had been registered in the area of the new international airport in Beijing.
As of today, the total number of those infected with the new strain of coronavirus in Wuhan increased to 198 people, including three lethal cases. The virus was also registered in Hong Kong, Japan and Thailand.
