【解説】中国の新型コロナウイルス、死者についてこれまでに分かっていること

【北京ＡＦＰ＝時事】中国中部・湖北省武漢で発生した新型コロナウイルスの死者にはこれまでのところ、60歳以上でもともと健康状態が悪かったという共通点がある。（写真は資料写真）
　中国が最初に新型ウイルスの出現を発表した昨年１２月末以降、重症急性呼吸器症候群（ＳＡＲＳ）に類似した新型ウイルスの感染者は５００人を超えた。
　これまでの死者の大半は高齢者で、糖尿病や肝硬変など基礎疾患を抱えていた。一方、１０歳の少年を含む若い感染者は既に退院している。
　新型コロナウイルスによる死者について、分かっていることをまとめた。
　■死者の大半は６０歳以上
　中国の国家衛生健康委員会（ＮＨＣ）による２３日の発表では、これまでの死者は１７人。年齢は４８～８９歳だが、うち６０歳未満は２人だけで、平均年齢は７３歳だった。ＮＨＣによると大半は今週に入り亡くなったという。
　一方、若い感染者は退院している。深センの健康委員会によると、１０歳の少年と３５歳の男性が２３日に退院した。
　■多くは基礎疾患があった
　死者の多くは、新型ウイルスに感染する前から糖尿病や高血圧などの基礎疾患を抱えており、もともと健康状態が悪かった。
　９日に入院した８６歳の男性は、４年前に結腸がんの手術を受けていた他、高血圧と糖尿病も患っていた。また、８０歳の女性はパーキンソン病で、高血圧と糖尿病の病歴が２０年以上あった。
　■死亡前に数週間入院していた人もいる
　２３日までに死亡した１７人の中には、それまで数週間入院していた人もいる。このため、病院は長期に及ぶ治療に備えなければいけない可能性がある。
　死者の中で最年少の４８歳の女性は、亡くなるまで１か月以上入院していた。ＮＨＣによるとこの女性は昨年１２月１０日に熱、せき、体の痛み、疲労感を訴え、２週間にわたる抗感染症治療を受けた。１２月末には息切れと胸部の圧迫感を訴え、１月２０日に亡くなった。
　だが、ＮＨＣによると亡くなった全員が入院前に発熱を訴えていたわけではないという。
　報道によると６６歳の男性は「主に乾性せきの症状」があったが、１２月２２日の時点で熱はなかった。だが、それから１週間以上後に息切れの症状が出て、１月中旬には人工呼吸器が装着された。
　英医学研究支援団体ウェルカムトラストのジェレミー・ファラー代表は「新型ウイルスが引き起こす症状の重症度の範囲は大きな懸念事項だ」と指摘する。
　「感染しても軽度の症状しか出ない人がいることは明らかだ。ひょっとすると全く症状が出ていない人もいるかもしれない」と、ファラー氏はメール回答で説明した。「このため実際の感染者数やヒト・ヒト感染の規模も覆い隠されている可能性がある」 【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/01/24-16:48）

The first fatality of China's new virus would come to represent a common set of traits for those who died to the disease: he was over the age of 60 and in poor health.
Since China reported the emergence of a new coronavirus at the end of December, the SARS-like virus has infected more than 500 and killed 17.
So far, the majority of the victims were elderly individuals with pre-existing health conditions, such as diabetes and liver cirrhosis.
All hailed from central Hubei province, where a local seafood market in the capital city of Wuhan is believed to be the epicentre of the epidemic.
But while older individuals have died from the Wuhan virus, some younger patients -- including a 10-year-old boy -- have since been released from the hospital.
Here's what we know so far about the deaths:
Most victims were over 60
According to details released by China's National Health Commission (NHC) on Thursday, the 17 victims of the virus were between 48 and 89 years old.
Only two were under the age of 60, while the average age of the victims was 73.
Most of them died this week, according to the NHC.
Among those who have been discharged from the hospital were younger patients, including a 35-year-old man from Shenzhen, a bustling tech hub in southern Guangdong province.
He was released from the hospital on Thursday, according to the local health commission, as well as the 10-year-old boy who had visited relatives in Wuhan before falling ill.
Many had pre-existing health conditions
Many of those who died from the virus also had pre-existing health issues before contracting the Wuhan disease, such as diabetes and hypertension.
One man, an 86-year-old who was hospitalised on January 9, had surgery for colon cancer four years prior, on top of suffering from high blood pressure and diabetes.
Another, an 80-year-old woman surnamed Hu, had Parkinson's Disease and more than 20 years of high blood pressure and diabetes in her medical history.
Some were hospitalised for weeks before dying
Several of the 17 victims were hospitalised for weeks before dying -- raising questions on the preparedness of hospitals that may have to treat patients for long periods of time.
The youngest victim of the Wuhan virus, a woman surnamed Yin, was hospitalised for more than a month before succumbing to the virus.
On December 10, the 48-year-old woman reported a fever, coughing, body soreness, and fatigue, and underwent anti-infection treatment for two weeks, according to the NHC.
Later in the end of the month, Yin suffered shortness of breath and chest tightness, and she passed away on January 20.
Not all of them had a fever
Currently, Wuhan authorities are screening passengers for fever at the airport, railway stations, and bus terminals.
At four airports in Thailand, authorities introduced mandatory thermal scans of passengers arriving from high-risk areas of China.
But not all those who died after being infected reported a fever before being hospitalised, according to the NHC.
A 66-year-old man surnamed Luo reported a mainly dry cough but no fever on December 22 before suffering from shortness of breath more than a week later.
By mid-January, Luo required a ventilator to help him breathe.
A major concern is the range of severity of symptoms this virus is causing, said Dr Jeremy Farrar, Director of the Wellcome Trust.
It is clear some people are being affected and are infectious while experiencing only very mild symptoms or possibly without experiencing symptoms at all, he said in an emailed statement.
This may be masking the true numbers infected and the extent of person to person transmission, he added.