- The French government has confirmed three cases of the Wuhan coronavirus there, the first in Europe.
- The coronavirus outbreak is thought to have started in a seafood market in Wuhan, China, and has sickened at least 1,100 people.
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The French government has confirmed the country’s first three cases of the Wuhan coronavirus – marking the outbreak’s spread to Europe.
Agnes Buzyn, the Minister of Solidarity and Health of France, confirmed in a press briefing on Friday evening local time that three patients – in two different regions – tested positive for the novel strain of coronavirus.
“We will probably have other cases,” she warned.
One patient is in the Bordeaux region of southern France, while two are in Paris, being treated in the Bichat hospital. They’re currently in quarantine, Buzyn said in a briefing with French media.
Buzyn said two of the patients recently returned from China. The third person is a close relative of the other Parisian patient. According to the French newspaper Le Monde, the Bordeaux patient is believed to be a French national of Chinese origin in his mid-40s. Le Monde also reported that the man was taken to the hospital after coming down with flu-like symptoms.
The coronavirus outbreak is believed to have originated in a seafood market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. Over 1,100 people worldwide have been infected across 10 countries, with 41 deaths.
The scientific name for the virus is 2019-nCoV, and it can pass from human to human. Authorities are rushing to study it to prevent the disease from spreading further as millions begin to travel for the upcoming Chinese New Year celebration.
The CDC recommends all travelers wash their hands frequently with soap and water, making sure to scrub for at least 20 seconds in order to minimize risk of getting sick.
The French government began prepping coronavirus tests after reports that a Chinese citizen snuck past airport checks for virus symptoms. The woman had posted on social media about taking medicine to reduce her fever so that she could attend plays and eat at a Michelin star restaurant. The Chinese embassy flagged the woman's posts and brought her in to conduct a coronavirus test. She was found not to have the virus.
Aria Bendix contributed reporting for this story.
- Read more about the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak
- The Wuhan coronavirus has spread to 9 countries. Here's how to protect yourself while traveling.
- Wuhan, China, and at least 11 other cities have been quarantined as China attempts to halt the spread of the coronavirus. That's about 33 million people on lockdown.
- Experts think the Wuhan coronavirus jumped from bats to snakes to people. Bats have been the source of at least 4 pandemics.
- A 2nd case of the Wuhan coronavirus in the US was just confirmed in Chicago
