New videos appear to show people in metal boxes and plastic tubes as China tries to contain the Wuhan coronavirus, which has killed at least 17 people and infected hundreds in the country.

Radio Free Asia shared a video of what it said was a patient being taken out of an ambulance in a large plastic tube. Another video appeared to show a patient being transported in an airport in a box.

The virus has spread to other countries, which have also quarantined people. A patient in the US has been kept in a 20-foot-by-20-foot bio-containment room and treated by a robot with a stethoscope to limit doctors' contact with the virus.

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New videos appear to show people who are infected or are suspected of being infected with the mysterious Wuhan coronavirus sealed in a metal box or a plastic tube as authorities try to limit the spread of the virus.

Radio Free Asia has shared a video that it says shows a patient infected with the virus in Huizhou, a city in the southern Guangdong province, being taken out of an ambulance in a large plastic tube by medical workers wearing protective layers.

The virus apparently originated in the central city of Wuhan but has spread to other areas of China, including Guangdong. There were 26 confirmed cases in the province as of Wednesday and more than 570 across China. Cases have also been confirmed in Japan, Taiwan, the US, South Korea, and Thailand.

Authorities say the virus — officially known as 2019-nCoV — can spread between people and has infected medical workers treating patients.

Another video, tweeted by Xie Qing, a social-media manager and journalist in Hong Kong, appears to show someone being transported in a large metal box through an airport. Business Insider has not been able to verify the video and has contacted her.

People are being quarantined in 20-foot rooms and camp sites

People confirmed as infected or who show symptoms after having been to Wuhan recently are also being held in quarantine worldwide. One person has been confirmed as infected in the US. Authorities have not yet released the patient's identity but described him as a man in his 30s in Washington state who recently visited China.

Dr. George Diaz, the head of the infectious-disease program at Providence Regional Medical Center, where the patient is being treated, told the Guardian that he was being kept in a 20-foot-by-20-foot bio-containment room. The patient is also being treated by a robot with a stethoscope to limit doctors' contact with the virus, Diaz told the Guardian.

While the patient's condition remains unknown, the hospital said he might be released soon, according to Reuters.

Officials in the US said they were monitoring 16 people who had close contact with the patient, but they added none had shown symptoms yet, Reuters reported.

Hong Kong, where one case has been confirmed, says it has converted camp sites into quarantine zones to house people who may have been in contact with someone infected.

An unprecedented quarantine

The city of Wuhan was largely cut off from the rest of the world on Thursday morning, as authorities closed transport options and told people not to enter or leave the city without a good reason. Wearing a mask in the city is now said to be mandatory.

Health officials in hazmat suits in Beijing checking the body temperatures of passengers arriving from Wuhan on Wednesday. Emily Wang/AP

Not a lot is known about the virus, which has not previously been seen in humans. Authorities warn that it is mutating even as experts study it and try to come up with a treatment.

Many airports are ramping up their health screening and say they're prepared to transport anyone showing symptoms to quarantine zones.