London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 31, 2025

Coronavirus: there are 2 types, Chinese researchers find, while authorities say faeces and urine can transmit the infection

Coronavirus: there are 2 types, Chinese researchers find, while authorities say faeces and urine can transmit the infection

Mainland China reports 38 new deaths by Wednesday morning, a rise from the previous day’s count, but new infections fall again to 119. Champions League and Europa League matches in Spain to be held behind closed doors

The coronavirus has evolved into two major types, with differing transmission rates and geographical distribution, according to a study published in the National Science Review on Tuesday.

A group of Chinese scientists analysed 103 coronavirus genomes and identified mutations in 149 sites across the strains.

They found that one type, which they called the L type, was more prevalent than the other, the S type, meaning it was more infectious. They also found that the L type had evolved from the S type, and that the L type was far more widespread before January 7 and in Wuhan, ground zero of the outbreak.

Human actions soon after the outbreak was discovered in December may have changed the abundance of each type, the report said, citing the Chinese central and local governments’ drastic containment measures including lockdowns of cities, which it said may have curbed the spread of the L type.

The researchers said follow-up studies were needed to form a better understanding of the virus’ evolution and spread.


New cases down in South Korea, mainland China

South Korea on Wednesday confirmed 435 new cases of the coronavirus, down from 851 a day earlier, taking the country’s total infections to 5,621 – the world’s largest after China. It reported four new deaths as the country’s toll reached 32.

Mainland China’s new daily cases continued to drop as it reported 119 infections, but the day’s new reported deaths jumped to 38, from 31 a day earlier, bringing its total fatalities to 2,981.

China’s National Health Commission (NHC) said 115 of the new cases on the mainland were reported in Hubei province, the outbreak’s epicentre. The total number of infections in mainland China stood at 80,270, with 49,856 patients having recovered.


Transmission by faeces and urine recognised

The spread of infection through faeces and urine has been recognised as an additional mode of transmission in China’s latest coronavirus diagnosis and treatment plan.

Citing research in which traces of coronavirus were found in patients’ stool samples, the NHC’s plan added contact with and aerosolisation of contaminated faeces and urine as transmission modes. Aerosolisation refers to conversion into particles small enough to be carried in the air.

Chinese health authorities have said that respiratory droplets and close contact with infected people are the main ways the coronavirus is spread. The NHC added in its previous treatment plan that aerosol transmission was possible for those in a relatively closed environment for long periods.




Global mask and gown shortages

The World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that severe and mounting disruption to the global supply of protective equipment was leaving health care workers ill-equipped to fight the outbreak.

“Prices of surgical masks have increased six-fold, N95 respirators have more than tripled and gowns cost twice as much,” WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a media briefing on Tuesday. “Supplies can take months to deliver, market manipulation is widespread, and stocks are often sold to the highest bidder.”

The UN agency has estimated that manufacturing of protective equipment supplies needs to be increased by 40 per cent to meet rising global demand. It said 89 million medical masks, 76 million pairs of examination gloves and 1.6 million pairs of goggles were needed each month for the global response.


Measures to help South Korean economy

South Korea’s government also announced a stimulus package of 11.7 trillion won (US$9.8 billion) to cushion the impact of the largest outbreak of the coronavirus outside China, which has disrupted supply and sapped consumption.

Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said the supplementary budget, subject to parliamentary approval, would channel money to the health system, child care and outdoor markets.

“As we understand that the economy is in a state of emergency, we are putting all our policy focus on minimising the economic fallout, especially for the vulnerable sectors, small to medium-sized businesses and self-employed people,” Hong told a press conference.



Spain’s first death, and decision on football matches

Postmortem results for a man who died in Valencia on February 13 have shown that he was killed by the coronavirus, representing Spain’s first fatality of the outbreak, a local health official said on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the country’s health ministry announced on Twitter that several sporting events would be held behind closed doors, with fixtures expected to draw crowds from high-risk areas, such as northern Italy, to be played without spectators.

The decision affects football matches including the Champions League fixture between Valencia and Italy’s Atalanta on March 10, and the March 19 Europa League match between Getafe and Inter Milan. Several basketball fixtures will also be affected.
About 100 health workers in the northern Basque region have been isolated in their homes after coming into contact with people carrying the virus.

Authorities are monitoring two clusters of the infection, in Torrejon de Ardoz, near Madrid, and the Basque city of Vitoria-Gasteiz.


Malaysia’s ‘extraordinary spreader’

Fourteen new cases of the coronavirus were confirmed by Malaysia on Wednesday, its largest one-day jump, taking the country’s total to 50.

The new cases and at least seven others confirmed on Tuesday were linked to the country’s 26th patient, a senior employee of the sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Berhad and described by the health ministry’s director general as “an extraordinary spreader”.

The patient, who had visited Shanghai in mid-January but had a fever and sore throat in Malaysia on February 27, also had contact with government ministers last week as Malaysia faced days of political turmoil during which former leader Mahathir Mohamad resigned and new Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was sworn in.

Of the 50 cases in Malaysia, 22 have recovered.


Iraq reports first virus death

Iraq said a 70-year-old Muslim cleric died on Wednesday from the coronavirus, the first death from the outbreak in a country where 31 people have been infected. The preacher had been quarantined in the northeastern city of Sulaimaniyah before his death, a spokesman for the northern Kurdish autonomous region’s health authority said.

According to local sources, he had recently met Iraqis returning from neighbouring Iran, which has recorded the deadliest outbreak outside China.

Iraqi authorities have closed land borders with Iran and banned the entry of foreign nationals travelling from there and other badly affected countries. Schools, universities, cinemas, cafes and other public places in Iraq have been ordered to close until March 7 to further contain the outbreak, but many continue to operate normally.

The outbreak has fuelled panic among Iraqis who say the war-ravaged country’s health care system cannot handle the epidemic. Many hospitals are poorly equipped or in disrepair after successive waves of conflict. According to the WHO, there are fewer than 10 doctors for every 10,000 people.



Chinese citizens arrive in Lanzhou from Tehran

Meanwhile, 146 Chinese citizens who had been stranded in Iran arrived at Lanzhou’s airport on a chartered flight from Tehran on Wednesday afternoon, according to Gansu Daily. They will be kept under medical observation in the northwestern city for at least 14 days.

A person familiar with the arrangements said all of the passengers went through temperature checks and “no one has a fever, but we need to wait for further test results”.

As of Tuesday, Gansu province, where Lanzhou is located, had reported 91 coronavirus cases and two deaths.


Clean-up of Wuhan market nears completion

More than a dozen disinfectant workers were nearing completion of the clean-up of the market in the city of Wuhan, Hubei’s provincial capital, where some of the first coronavirus infections were reported in late December.

The cleaning of Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, where wild animals were traded, is due to be completed by Thursday.
China-US military phone call covers coronavirus

Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe discussed the coronavirus with US Defence Secretary Mark Esper during a telephone call on Wednesday that also covered military matters, China’s defence ministry said.

Wei said the encouraging trend in China’s coronavirus containment was expanding, according to a statement posted on the Chinese ministry’s WeChat account.

Esper expressed a willingness to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in epidemic control and prevention.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×