Chinese man with pneumonia warded, isolated after travel to Wuhan: MOH

SINGAPORE — A Chinese man with pneumonia has been warded in Singapore and isolated after travelling to Wuhan, the Ministry of Health said on Friday (Jan 10).

More than 50 cases of a mystery viral pneumonia in Wuhan, located in central China's Hubei province, have been confirmed.  

When the illness first broke out, it sparked fears about a resurgence of Sars, a flu-like virus that killed hundreds of people more than a decade ago.

China has since ruled out the illness might be Sars, which stands for severe acute respiratory syndrome. The World Health Organisation said on Wednesday that it may be due instead to a newly emerging member of the family of viruses that caused Sars.

MOH announced last week it would implement temperature screening at Changi Airport for travellers coming from Wuhan.

"As of 10am, 10 January 2020, the Ministry of Health has been notified of a 26-year-old male Chinese national with pneumonia, who had travel history to Wuhan. He has been admitted for further assessment and treatment, and isolated as a precautionary measure," said MOH in a statement.

"His condition is stable," MOH added.

This is the second such case in Singapore this year, after a three-year-old Chinese girl with pneumonia was warded last Saturday. On Sunday, it was revealed that the girl's condition was not linked to the pneumonia cluster in Wuhan and that she suffered a common childhood viral illness.

Neither the girl nor the man was found to have visited the Huanan seafood wholesale market associated with the Wuhan situation.

MOH said investigations to establish if the man's case was linked to the pneumonia cluster in China were "ongoing". CNA

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