China reports sharp rise in case of novel virus amid growing concerns of person-to-person transmission
The number of cases of a novel virus in China has escalated sharply, with authorities in the city of Wuhan now reporting nearly 200 people infected, an increase of 136 over the weekend. Authorities also reported an additional death tied to the virus, bringing the total number of fatalities to three.
The mushrooming in the number of cases, along with confirmation of a case in the Chinese city of Shenzhen and unconfirmed reports of cases in Beijing and Shanghai, adds to evidence that the virus —a coronavirus, from the family that also includes SARS and MERS — can be transmitted from person to person.
