Characteristics of and Public Health Responses to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Outbreak in China

In December 2019, cases of unidentified pneumonia with a history of exposure in the Huanan Seafood Market were reported in Wuhan, Hubei Province. A novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, was identified to be accountable for this disease. Human-to-human transmission is confirmed, and this disease (named COVID-19 by World Health Organization (WHO)) spread rapidly around the country and the world. As of 18 February 2020, the number of confirmed cases had reached 75,199 with 2009 fatalities. The COVID-19 resulted in a much lower case-fatality rate (about 2.67%) among the confirmed cases, compared with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). Among the symptom composition of the…

• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Awards: 20180907, 2018A050506038, 81572012, 81772217, 81572012, 81772217, 2016A030311025, 81971954
• NS
  Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province

  Awards: 2017A030313694, 2016A030311025, 2017A030313694, 2016A030311025
• SA
  Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangdong Province

  Awards: 2018A050506038, 201904020011