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The World Health Organization will on Thursday hold an International Health Regulations Emergency Committee meeting on the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV).

The global health body wants the committee to decide whether the current outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.

The virus first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan but has spread beyond the shores of China with over 2000 cases reported as well as at least 100 deaths.

Victims often suffer from respiratory illness and this new strain of coronavirus was not previously identified in humans.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director general said on Wednesday that “I have decided to reconvene the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on the new #coronavirus (2019-nCoV) tomorrow (Thursday) to advise me on whether the current outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.”

I have decided to reconvene the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on the new #coronavirus (2019-nCoV) tomorrow to advise me on whether the current outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. pic.twitter.com/993YBQ6hol — Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) January 29, 2020

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Sudan’s information minister has told the media that the government suspects that two of its citizens who returned to the country from China are infected with the new coronavirus.

Ivory Coast over the weekend also said that an unnamed woman, a student, returned to the country from Beijing on Saturday with suspected symptoms of the virus.

She is currently undergoing further tests after showing flu-like symptoms, associated with the virus.

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Kenya also on Tuesday announced that a student has been quarantined at a hospital in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, with suspected coronavirus.

The student also travelled from Wuhan – the Chinese city at the epicentre of the outbreak.

On Tuesday the WHO allayed fears that there were “confirmed cases” of the deadly and fast spreading coronavirus in Africa.

There are currently no confirmed cases of #coronavirus in #Africa, but @WHO recommends taking preventive actions while traveling. Avoid unprotected close contact with anyone developing cold or flu-like symptoms & seek care if you have a fever, cough & difficulty breathing. pic.twitter.com/2YUvH64dlA — WHO African Region (@WHOAFRO) January 28, 2020

Several African countries have been putting people suspected of having the virus in quarantine, while conducting further tests.

The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation is also giving Africa $5 million to support the continent’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention to fight current outbreak of coronavirus.

Source: Africafeeds.com