1. The Ministry of Health and Sports is accelerating its responses to the outbreak of pneumonia caused by 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Wuhan City of the People’s Republic of China, with strictly monitoring the symptoms of fever and flu at the State/Regional Public Health departments, airports, jetties, border crossings, especially at the border gates close to China.
2. According to the report of World Health Organization dated on 21 January 2020, a total of 278 patients were diagnosed with 2019-nCoV: 258 cases in Hubei Province, 14 from Guangdong Province, 5 from Beijing Municipality and 1 from Shanghai Municipality. Of the 278 confirmed cases, 51 cases are severely ill and 12 are in critical condition.
3. The laboratory tests outside China up to 22 January 2020 have found 2 cases in Thailand, 1 in Japan, 1 in South Korea and 1 in the United States.
4. Wuhan City reported 6 deaths up to 22 January 2020, and they were old and fragile persons with other chronic diseases.
5. The WHO is holding a meeting of International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee for Pneumonia due to the Novel Coronavirus 2019-nCoV on 22 January 2020 in accordance with the International Health Regulations (2005), whether to announce the Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) and measures for prevention and control of the disease.
6. The WHO has confirmed the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is the same virus species of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and primarily announced it is the outbreak of Limited Human-to-Human Transmission. The 2019-nCoV can be prevented as follows:
• Stay away from the people with the symptoms of respiratory diseases such as fever, coughing, sneezing
• Avoid going to crowded areas
• Using clothes and facemask to cover nose and mouth during sneezing and coughing
• Avoid touching to animals with bare hands
• Wash hands after touching materials exposed to patients and direct contacts with the patients
• Health workers need to follow the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) for prevention of
the disease whenever they contact with the patients
• Domestic/Foreign travelers at the international airports are to follow travel advice issued
by the Ministry of Health and Sports
• Update reports on the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) will be published on the ministry’s official website (https://www.mohs.gov.mm/) and Myanmar CDC Facebook Page (https:// web.facebook.com/MyanmarCDC/), and that people are suggested to follow healthcare instructions.
Ministry of Health and Sports
