Cases of Novel Coronavirus Jump in China

By Kelly Young

Edited by David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH, and Lorenzo Di Francesco, MD, FACP, FHM

China reported nearly 1700 new cases of novel coronavirus infection from Monday to Tuesday, bringing the total to more than 4500. Over 100 people have died.

In other news:

• As of Tuesday, 18 countries had confirmed cases.

• The U.S. is increasing the number of airports screening passengers for coronavirus from 5 to 20, officials said at a news conference at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday.

• The World Health Organization said that China will allow WHO experts to come and help with the response. The CDC has also requested to assist, as well as see firsthand data, including on potential asymptomatic transmission.

• The U.S. has begun developing a vaccine, and officials hope to begin a phase 1 trial within 3 months. That will take 3 months to conduct, and then phase 2 trials can begin.

• Potential treatments against the novel coronavirus include remdesivir, which was tested against Ebola, and Kaletra, a combination of the antivirals lopinavir and ritonavir. Neither has proven efficacy against this virus. Scientists are also looking at whether monoclonal antibodies would be effective.

• A correspondence in the New England Journal of Medicine details suspected transmission from a father to his adult son in Vietnam. The father had been to Wuhan, China, the center of the outbreak, but the son had not. The incubation period for the son may have been 3 days or less.