Singapore confirms 5th case of Wuhan virus

SINGAPORE — The Ministry of Health (MOH) has confirmed another imported case of Wuhan coronavirus infection in Singapore, a 56-year-old female Chinese national from Wuhan who arrived in Singapore with her family on Jan 18.

She is currently warded in an isolation room at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) and her condition is stable, the ministry said.

Giving a timeline of the case, MOH said that the woman had shown no symptoms during the flight to Singapore on Jan 18. She subsequently developed symptoms on Jan 24, and was conveyed by ambulance to Tan Tock Seng Hospital on Jan 26.

She was classified as a suspect case and immediately isolated at NCID, MOH said. Subsequent test results confirmed Wuhan coronavirus infection on Jan 27.

She has no known links to the other confirmed imported cases, MOH said.

Prior to hospital admission, the woman stayed with her family at their home in Ceylon Road.

Since the onset of symptoms, she had remained in her home until she was conveyed to hospital on Jan 26.

MOH said it has initiated epidemiological investigations and contact tracing to identify individuals who had close contact with her.

MOH said that as of 12pm on Jan 27, 62 of the suspect cases have tested negative for the Wuhan coronavirus, and four have tested positive (the fifth case was confirmed at about 2pm).

Test results for the remaining 57 cases are pending.

The ministry said it has identified 115 close contacts from the first four confirmed cases.

Of the 86 who are still in Singapore, 75 have been contacted and are being quarantined or isolated.

Efforts are ongoing to contact the remaining 11 close contacts.