The authorities in Wuhan are still closely monitoring 163 people who were in close contact with the patients, Dr. Hui said. The Wuhan government confirmed on Dec. 31 that the health authorities were treating dozens of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause. Symptoms of the new illness include high fever, difficulty breathing and lung lesions, according to the Wuhan health commission. Seven people have become critically ill, the Wuhan authorities have said. Workers disinfected and shut down the market after the city health department said many of the cases had been traced to it.

Source: New York Times January 09, 2020 02:48 UTC