Another New Virus in China

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A woman contracted a new virus (a combination of H3N2 and H10N5) in China and died. The main question is "Was this a natural or man-made virus?

If COVID originated from experiments being done at a National Institute of Virology in Wuhan
Could this new viral strain be associated with research at the National Institute of Virology in Beijing?

BEIJING - China on Wednesday reported the death of a woman due to an infection of combined H3N2 and H10N5 strains of bird flu after a cross-species transmission, but said the risk of human-to-human transmission is low.

The 63-year-old woman from Anhui province had underlying health conditions and developed cough, sore throat, fever and other symptoms on Nov. 30 and died on Dec. 16, the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration in a statement.

China reports death of woman from combined H3N2, H10N5 bird flu

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This brings to mind another outbreak (238.3 miles away from Wuhan that occurred in 2004.

Chinese authorities have today reported test results confirming that the 53-year-old woman who died in Anhui Province on 19 April 2004 was infected with the SARS coronavirus. The woman, a medical doctor, was the mother of a 26-year-old postgraduate student who had been conducting research at the National Institute of Virology in Beijing. The student remains hospitalized in Anhui.

Investigation of the source of the outbreak is presently focused on lapses in biosafety procedures at the National Institute of Virology. The institute was closed on 23 April and its staff were placed in isolation.

First generation. The first case is a 26-year-old female postgraduate student from Anhui Province. She worked at the National Institute of Virology in Beijing 7–22 March. Laboratories at the institute are known to be conducting studies using the live SARS coronavirus. Her symptoms developed on 25 March in Anhui. Following onset of symptoms, she traveled twice by train from Anhui to Beijing and back to Anhui. Her SARS infection has been confirmed by the Chinese Ministry of Health. She is presently hospitalized in isolation in Anhui.

A second case who may have acquired infection from a laboratory source is a 31-year-old male researcher at the same virology institute. His symptoms developed on 17 April. He is presently undergoing treatment in isolation at Beijing’s Ditan Hospital. To date, he has not been linked to any other cases.

Second generation. The two cases in the second generation are both linked to close personal contact with the postgraduate student. These cases are her 53-year-old mother, whose infection with the SARS coronavirus was confirmed by Chinese authorities today. She is, to date, the only fatal case in the outbreak. The second case is a 20-year-old nurse in Beijing who treated the postgraduate student, from 29 March to 2 April, during her initial hospitalization in Beijing The nurse’s SARS infection has been confirmed by the Chinese Ministry of Health. She is being treated in isolation at Beijing’s Ditan Hospital.

Third generation. Five further cases have all been linked to close contact with the nurse. Three are relatives: her 45-year-old father, her 44-year-old mother, and a 36-year-old aunt. SARS infection in the mother and aunt has been confirmed by the Chinese Ministry of Health. The fourth case linked to the nurse is a 49-year-old retired female doctor who was admitted to hospital because of another illness and shared a room with the nurse. The retired doctor’s 23-year-old daughter-in-law, who accompanied her at the time of hospital admission, is the fifth case. As both women did not develop SARS-like symptoms until a week following hospital admission, both are presumed to have acquired their infection from close contact with the nurse.

Disease Outbreak News: 2004 - China

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According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a total of 8,098 people worldwide became sick with SARS during the 2003 outbreak. Of these, 774 died.

Another pandemic is underway. It is called Measles.

Measles is a childhood infection caused by a virus. Also called rubeola, measles spreads easily and can be serious and even fatal for small children.

According to one article:

Measles is on the rise around the world, and even experts who saw it coming say the increase is "staggering."

The World Health Organization said in December that its European region (which extends into parts of western and central Asia) saw an "alarming" increase in measles cases – from under a thousand in 2022 to more than 30,000 last year.

The WHO's most recent global numbers, released in November, reveal that measles cases increased worldwide by 18% to about 9 million, and deaths rose 43% to 136,000, in 2022 compared to 2021. Some 32 countries had large, disruptive outbreaks in 2022, and that number ticked up to 51 in 2023.

Measles is one of the most contagious infectious diseases, and also one of the most preventable: two doses of vaccine in childhood is 97% protective.

Children who don't get their vaccines on schedule are at risk of death and serious illness, particularly children under age 5 who are at highest risk for severe complications including pneumonia, encephalitis (brain swelling) and death.

Source: It's no surprise there's a global measles outbreak. But the numbers are 'staggering'

Measles causes a red, blotchy rash that usually appears first on the face and behind the ears, then spreads downward to the chest and back and finally to the feet.

Measles is a highly contagious illness. This means it's very easily spread to others. Measles is caused by a virus found in the nose and throat of an infected child or adult. When someone with measles coughs, sneezes or talks, infectious droplets spray into the air, where other people can breathe them in. The infectious droplets can hang in the air for about an hour.

The infectious droplets may also land on a surface, where they can live and spread for several hours. You can get the measles virus by putting your fingers in your mouth or nose or rubbing your eyes after touching the infected surface.

Measles is highly contagious from about four days before to four days after the rash appears.

The infection occurs in stages over 2 to 3 weeks.

-- Infection and incubation. For the first 10 to 14 days after infection, the measles virus spreads in the body. There are no signs or symptoms of measles during this time.

-- Nonspecific signs and symptoms. Measles typically begins with a mild to moderate fever, often with a persistent cough, a runny nose, inflamed eyes (conjunctivitis) and a sore throat. This relatively mild illness may last 2 to 3 days.

-- Acute illness and rash. The rash is made up of small red spots, some of which are slightly raised. Spots and bumps in tight clusters give the skin a splotchy red appearance. The face breaks out first.
Over the next few days, the rash spreads down the arms, chest and back, then over the thighs, lower legs and feet. At the same time, the fever rises sharply, often as high as 104 to 105.8 F (40 to 41 C).

-- Recovery. The measles rash may last about seven days. The rash gradually fades first from the face and last from the thighs and feet. As other symptoms of the illness go away, the cough and darkening or peeling of the skin where the rash was may stay for about 10 days.

Measles can commonly cause an infection in the lungs (pneumonia). People with weakened immune systems can develop an especially dangerous type of pneumonia that sometimes can lead to death.

About 1 in 1,000 people with measles can develop a complication called encephalitis. Encephalitis is irritation and swelling (inflammation) of the brain. The condition can be especially dangerous for people with weakened immune systems. Encephalitis may occur right after measles, or it might not occur until months later. Encephalitis can cause permanent brain damage.

Measles

This whole discussion sounds similar to the COVID transition into Antibiotic Resistant form of Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Pneumoni (MPP). Are we looking at a different man-made virus constructed in a research lab in China?

not so new, that first article was published in 2004.