Alarm grows as three confirmed cases of coronavirus in NSW

Health authorities have confirmed three people in NSW have contracted the deadly coronavirus, which has killed more than 40 people in China. The men had recently travelled to Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak.

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Three men in NSW have been confirmed as contracting the deadly coronavirus, as authorities scramble to contact passengers who shared flights from China with the patients.

NSW Health said the men — one of which is aged in his 30s and another in his 50s — are being treated in Westmead Hospital and are in isolation.

Two of the men travelled to Sydney from Wuhan, the Chinese city at the epicentre of the virus outbreak, and the third from China’s southeastern Shenzhen.

Australia’s first case of the deadly coronavirus was confirmed in Victoria on Saturday morning, taking the total to four confirmed cases around the country.

A total of 18 people have been tested for the virus in NSW, with 12 of those given the all-clear.

People wearing masks due to coronavirus warnings arriving in Sydney from Shanghai this afternoon. Picture: Chris Pavlich

NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said it was a matter of when, not if, the virus would arrive in Sydney.

She confirmed one man arrived in Australia on January 6, another arrived 13 days later and she was yet to confirm travel details for the third man.

NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant at a press conference provide an update on the current status of coronavirus in NSW. Picture by Damian Shaw

The first confirmed Australian case involved a man who had been in Wuhan, the city of 11 million people at the epicentre of the outbreak.

He flew from Guangzhou to Melbourne on China Southern Airlines flight CZ321 on January 19.

The man has pneumonia and is in a stable condition in isolation at the Monash Medical Centre.

Spectators wearing masks at the Lunar Festival celebrations, at Dixon Street Mall, Chinatown today. Picture: IMAGE/Monique Harmer

Passengers from the same flight are being contacted as a precaution, while all arrivals from China are being stopped at airports and given information about symptoms and what to do if they feel unwell.

Health authorities are waiting for test results for one potential coronavirus case in Queensland after five people were cleared on Saturday. Of the latest six cases, three were reported on the Gold Coast and two in Brisbane

China says the death toll has risen to 41 out of more than 1300 cases.

The illness has been confirmed other countries including Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, France and the United States.

Australians are being urged not to travel to Wuhan or China’s Hubei province.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has listed the virus as having “pandemic potential”. This allows for enhanced border protection measures.

Symptoms of the respiratory illness include fever, cough, sore throat, vomiting and difficulty breathing.

Workers are scrambling to build a 1000-bed field hospital in Wuhan, China, by February 3 to cope with the surge coronavirus patients in the city. Picture: Getty

Passengers arriving on all flights from China are now being stopped and provided with health information about the virus, its symptoms and what to do if they become unwell.

Australia’s Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said it was important for people arriving from Wuhan, and those in close contact with them, to monitor for symptoms including fever, cough, sore throat, vomiting and difficulty breathing. Experts are still learning about the virus.

“We don’t know exactly how long symptoms take to show after a person has been infected but there is an incubation period and some patients will have very mild symptoms,” Professor Murphy said.

WHAT IS THE CORONAVIRUS

The new viral respiratory illness outbreak began last month in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Scientists have identified the illness as a new kind of coronavirus. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some of which cause the common cold.

Others have evolved into more severe illnesses, such as SARS and MERS, although so far the new virus does not appear to be nearly as deadly or contagious.

Cases have now been confirmed in France, the US, South Korea, Japan, Nepal and Singapore.

Originally published as Alarm grows as three confirmed cases of coronavirus in NSW