New Virus Linked to SARS
Global health officials are monitoring a new coronavirus linked to SARS that has left one man in critical condition.
British officials notified the World Health Organization last Saturday of the new virus after a man was transferred from Qatar to London to be treated. The man suffered from kidney failure and is in critical condition in an intensive care unit.
The man had recently traveled to Saudi Arabia, officials said.
The virus samples from the Qatari citizen was almost identical to that found in a 60-year-old man from Saudi Arabia who died this year.
So far, there are no travel restrictions and no identified source to the infection.
In 2003, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome killed around 800 people in Asia. Health officials are unsure if the virus will have the same effect SARS did. So far, there is not enough evidence or cases to determine how far or quickly the virus could spread.
While coronaviruses are generally spread in the air, some scientists were considering whether patients were directly infected by animals. There was no record of any human-to-human transmission. So far, the only link between the cases is Saudi Arabia. Other countries have not reported any simlar cases.
Britain's health protection agnecy said in a statement that the Qatari citizen became sick on Sept. 3 and was transferred to a London hospital on Sept. 11.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.