The 6,000 passengers aboard a cruise ship at port in Civitavecchia, Italy, are not allowed to disembark. The cruise ship is on lockdown after two suspected cases of Wuhan coronavirus detected.
The possible coronavirus outbreak could have originated with a 54-year-old woman from Macau who has been quarantined. Doctors have been treating her for a fever.
The woman’s husband is showing no symptoms. Still, officials tested him for a possible coronavirus infection. Doctors have sent samples from the couple off for testing.
Doctors have quarantined both the man and woman. The rest of the passengers are not allowed to leave in case they are infected.
“As soon as the suspected case emerged, medical staff onboard immediately activated the necessary health procedures for cases of this kind,” a rep for the cruise line, Costa Crociere, said in a statement. “Our priority is to guarantee the health and safety of our guests and team.”
The spread of the new virus from China’s central region has been troubling for medical organizations. Officials have detected the potentially deadly respiratory virus in several countries.
In China, the virus has already claimed 170 lives. Other countries are scrambling to evacuate their nationals from the central Chinese city of Wuhan.
The World Health Organization originally urged people not to panic about the coronavirus, but the situation has been escalating rapidly. The WHO may now issue a global health crisis.
It’s important to be aware of the people around you. If someone is coughing or showing flu-like symptoms, the last thing you want is to catch whatever they have.
The best way to avoid viral infections is to avoid touching your face after you’ve touched a public surface. Make sure you wash your hands often, don’t eat or drink from the same container as anyone else, and try to avoid unnecessary contact with others.
