Skip to content

Coronavirus has now infected almost 10,000, including three in Canada

WHO says most patients have milder cases, with only 20 per cent suffering severe symptoms
20369986_web1_M-Virus-Toronto-EDH-200130
A woman wears a mask following the outbreak of a new virus as people arrive from the International terminal at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Toronto on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

The mysterious new type of coronavirus has now infected almost 10,000 people globally, including three in Canada, pushing the World Health Organization to declare the outbreak a global health emergency.

The WHO decided yesterday the epidemic is a ”public health emergency of international concern,” and China released new data suggesting more than 9,600 confirmed cases of the virus that has killed 213 people in the country.

The UN agency says most people who got the illness had milder cases, with only 20 per cent experiencing severe symptoms.

Canadian officials say the country is already taking the right steps to prevent its spread, adding that the risk here remains low.

Of the three cases confirmed in Canada, one man in Toronto has been released from hospital, while his wife as well as a man in B.C. are self-isolated.

But Canada is feeling other repercussions from the outbreak, including cancellations by Chinese tourists to Canadian hotspots including Banff and Yellowknife.

— With files from The Associated Press

The Canadian Press

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter