Wuhan pneumonia: Hong Kong requests for genetic information from mainland China on mystery virus

Experts say this would allow for more targeted tests and shorten time for diagnosis by more than half

They also call for calm, reminding the public that no deaths have been reported and the strain seems to be less lethal than Sars

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In the 24 hours till noon on Thursday, 10 suspected cases were reported, including that of an 11-month-old girl and a man, 66. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

Published: 10:05pm, 9 Jan 2020Updated: 4:49pm, 22 Jan 2020

Hong Kong has requested that mainland China provide genetic information on the mystery virus behind the Wuhan pneumonia outbreak, for local experts to devise more targeted tests to identify infections.

The announcement was made on Thursday after mainland authorities earlier in the day said laboratory tests had determined the disease to be of a new coronavirus strain, and that its entire genome sequence had been mapped out.

Coronaviruses cause diseases varying in severity, from the common cold to the deadly severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) that killed 299 people in Hong Kong in 2003.

So far, the city’s public hospitals have received a total of 48 patients who showed fever and the respiratory symptoms of pneumonia after returning from Wuhan, though 25 have been cleared and discharged. Some 10 suspected cases were reported between noon on Wednesday and noon on Thursday, including that of an 11-month-old girl and a man aged 66.

“The Department of Health has contacted the National Health Commission … to ask if they can give us the genetic sequencing of the novel coronavirus so that we can have more targeted and accurate tests for suspected patients,” said Wong Ka-hing, controller of the Centre for Health Protection (CHP).

According to Professor Yuen Kwok-yung from the University of Hong Kong, who spoke in the same press conference as Wong, the city already has tests that can identify patients with the Wuhan strain, even without the genetic sequence.