Beware: There is another virus about to strike the world says China

Beijing: It is as if the threat of coronavirus is not enough for the world. Now comes the threat ‘unknown pneumonia’. China has warned its citizens living in Kazakhstan of a local ‘unknown pneumonia’. It said that this ‘unknown pneumonia’ has a ‘much higher’ fatality rate than COVID-19.

Large number of deaths

The ‘unknown pneumonia in Kazakhstan caused has 1,772 deaths in the first six months of the year, including 628 people in June alone’.  This information was shared by the Chinese embassy in the central Asian country. The embassy put up the statement on its ‘WeChat’ platform Thursday. It said that the fatalities also included Chinese citizens.

Fatality rate more than COVID-19

“The fatality rate of the disease is much higher than COVID-19,” state-run Global Times quoted the embassy’s statement Friday. Many organisations including Kazakhstan’s health department are studying the ‘virus of this pneumonia’, the embassy said.

Also read: WHO experts to visit China as part of COVID-19 investigation

There has not been any indication whether this disease is related to the COVID-19. However, Chinese experts have said that measures should be taken to prevent the pneumonia from spreading into China. Kazakhstan borders China’s northwest Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The embassy has reminded Chinese citizens in Kazakhstan to implement measures to prevent the spread of the virus. It quoted local media and said that since mid-June, almost 500 people have been infected with the pneumonia.

Minister’s comments

Kazakhstan’s healthcare minister Wednesday said that a large number of people have been affected by the pneumonia. The number is two to three times more than those who have been infected with the COVID-19. The minister said that it has planned to publish accurate tallies of confirmed cases as early as next week. Kazakh international news agency ‘Kazinform’ reported has quoted the minister who has said people need to know the real situation.

Kazakhstan has reported 51,059 cases of COVID-19, including 264 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University’s coronavirus resource centre.