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Coronavirus: First cases of deadly virus in Middle East reported

Patients are in stable condition, authorities say

Coronavirus cases: The spread outside China

Four members of a Chinese family have been diagnosed with coronavirus in the United Arab Emirates, the first known cases in the Middle East, the country’s health ministry have said.

Officials said they had arrived from Wuhan, the city in China where the disease originated.

The family members are in a stable condition and under medical observation, the ministry said.

The virus – which causes patients to have flu-like symptoms but can develop into pneumonia – has killed more than 130 people in China.

The health ministry did not say where the family members were being treated or when they arrived in the UAE.

The ministry and a government information office did not respond to a request for further comment.

Nearly 60 cases have been reported in 15 countries outside China, including the US, France and Singapore.

Fears of the spreading virus have pushed airlines to reduce flights to China.

Emirates, the UAE’s biggest airline, said on Wednesday its flights were operating normally.

The Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) health committee met on Wednesday in the Saudi capital Riyadh to discuss the coronavirus and to unify Gulf efforts to prevent its spread, according to local media.

Reuters

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