Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1204548
16 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 26 JANUARY 2020 NEWS MALTA'S public health authorities have set up a coordinating team for national response in light of the novel coronavirus outbreak in China. In a statement yesterday. the Super- intendence of Public Health said it is monitoring the situation of the clus- ters of pneumonia detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China and is fol- lowing the advice of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Europe- an Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). What precautions is Malta taking in relation to the outbreak? A coordinating team for national response has been set up and is be- ing led by the Superintendence of Public Health. There is constant communication with the WHO, the ECDC and the EU Health Security Committee. The European Council is organis- ing regular teleconferences for all member states to which Malta Pub- lic Health authorities participate to receive updates and advice on ac- tions to take. Surveillance and preparedness for case-finding has been enhanced, and communications are being is- sued to the media, and advice is being given to clinicians and trav- ellers. Preparedness is taking place at Mater Dei Hospital and as well as through the Primary Care Organ- ising of laboratory testing via coor- dination with labs abroad and local testing, infection control measures and preparedness at hospital level should there be a suspected case. Advice for travellers Travellers should: 1. Avoid visiting wet markets or places where live or dead animals are han- dled 2. Avoid contact with sick persons, in particular those with respiratory symptoms 3. Adhere to good hand and food hy- giene 4. Avoid contact with animals, their excretions or droppings Travellers with acute respiratory symptoms (fever, shortness of breath, cough or sore throat) within 14 days of visiting Wuhan are advised to con- tact their doctor and indicate their travel history to Wuhan and contact the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Unit on 21324086. In addition, due to the currently high activity of the seasonal influenza epi- demic in China, travellers should re- ceive seasonal influenza vaccination at least two weeks prior to travel to prevent severe disease. No travel restrictions are recom- mended as yet, as per WHO advice. MATTHEW AGIUS THE European Centre for Disease Con- trol (ECDC) has announced that French health authorities have confirmed three cases of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) virus in France since 24 January 2020. The virus has already claimed a number of lives in China. But the first confirmed cases in Europe were "not unexpected" it said, given the developments of the last few days with several coronavirus cases reported in countries outside of China. The ECDC said that the fact that these cases were identified "proves that detec- tion and confirmation of this novel virus is working in France, showing a high level of preparedness to prevent and control pos- sible infections of 2019-nCoV." Adopting a reassuring tone, the an- nouncement said that most EU countries have plans and measures in place to con- tain this kind of infections and Europe has well-equipped laboratories that can confirm probable cases in addition to hos- pitals that are prepared to treat patients accordingly. "EU/EEA countries should ensure that timely and rigorous infection preven- tion and control measures (IPC) are applied around people diagnosed with 2019-nCoV. Such measures will keep the likelihood of further sustained spread in both healthcare and community settings low. In the past, systematic implementa- tion of infection prevention and control measures were effective in controlling both SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. "We are working with the EU/EEA Mem- ber States to ensure that they are prepared to manage any imported cases. ECDC is monitoring this event through epidemic intelligence activities, and provides risk assessments to guide EU Member States and the EU Commission in their response activities." It warned that it is likely that there will be more imported cases in Europe, but said that European countries have the necessary capacities to prevent and con- trol an outbreak as soon as cases are de- tected. Background Following the first reports of a cluster of pneumonia cases in the Chinese Wu- han municipality at the end of Decem- ber 2019, Chinese authorities identified, at the start of 2020, a new coronavirus which is genetically related to SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, as a causative agent. The coronavirus originated from Wuhan in China and is being dubbed the "cous- in" of the SARS virus. The virus appears to have originated from a Wuhan seafood market where wild animals, including marmots, birds, rabbits, bats and snakes, are traded illegally. Coronaviruses are known to jump from animals to humans, so it's thought that the first people infected with the disease – a group primarily made up of stallholders from the seafood market – contracted it from contact with animals. Although an initial analysis of the virus suggested it was similar to coronavirus seen in snakes, it now seems more likely that it came from bats. In China, there are currently 830 con- firmed cases of patients infected with the virus. A small number of confirmed cases have also been found outside China, in- cluding Thailand, the US, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam and Singapore. The death toll is currently 26. France on Friday became the first European country to confirm cases of coronavirus, the deadly respiratory illness that first broke out in China and is rapidly spreading Coronavirus reaches Europe with two cases confirmed in France LAURA CALLEJA SCREENING passengers ar- riving at Malta International Airport for symptoms caused by the new Chinese virus would be of "little value", given that there are no direct flights to China, Superintendent of Public Health Charmaine Gau- ci said. She was speaking to Malta- Today about the new influenza virus, known as coronavirus, which originated in the city of Wuhan. Countries such as the US and Italy, which have direct flights from the region of Wuhan, are screening passengers upon ar- rival. "There is added value in those countries with direct flights to screen passengers but with the coronavirus presenting simi- larly to ordinary influenza, and given that we are in the peak influenza season, it would be very difficult to differentiate between influenza and the coronavirus," Gauci said. Gauci said that cases of the coronavirus seen outside of Asia have been experienced by people who were either at the aforementioned seafood mar- ket or in the Wuhan region – and that as of yet, they have been isolated cases and have not spread to persons who did not visit the region. "What we know right now is that with the coronavirus – the period of incubation is 14 days – from when the person is in direct contact with the vi- rus and when they start show- ing symptoms. We don't have direct flights from Wuhan – however, we are monitoring the situation," she said. Gauci stressed that if there are people who have travelled from Wuhan and are currently in Malta and start experienc- ing symptoms it is imperative they reach out on 21324086, a 24/7 helpline which will assist them. "We will carry out a risk as- sessment, to see the probabil- ity of it being the coronavirus – and perform the necessary tests – to make sure that if it is the coronavirus it remains contained and prevent the risk of it spreading." When it comes to order- ing online – Gauci said that packages coming from China were at a low risk of carrying the virus. "While the virus can live outside the person for a pe- riod of time – considering the time it takes for packages to arrive in Malta – a min- imum of three weeks – the virus would have either died or carried a low risk of being contracted." However, Gauci urged the public to be vigilant and not take added risks. Passenger screening at airport not necessary says Public Health Superintendent Charmaine Gauci