Germany Confirms First Coronavirus Case, May Be the First Human-To-Human Transmission in Europe

Germany has now been added to the list of countries with confirmed coronavirus cases. Spreading out from Wuhan, a city in Hubei province in China where the outbreak began, the coronavirus has been infecting more and more people around the world. 

The man from the state of Bavaria in Germany contracted the virus from a colleague visiting from China.

This makes him the first reported coronavirus case in Europe to come from human-to-human transmission. 

RELATED: FIFTH CASE OF CORONAVIRUS INFECTION IN THE U.S. CONFIRMED

First known case outside of China to be contracted by human contact

The head of the Bavarian State Office for Health and Food Safety, Andreas Zapf, said that the woman (the colleague) who was visiting Germany came from Shanghai, China and that she "started to feel sick on the flight home on January 23." 

?BREAKING NEWS: 2019 NCoV:
Germany: Confirmed case is because of human to human transmission. | via @AFP

Japan: A man with 2019 NCoV had not been to China (no travel history of travelling to China) | via @AFP #Coronavirus #coronarvirues #CoronavirusOutbreak pic.twitter.com/HJV6SZBGT5

— GabDG Media (@GabdgMedia) January 28, 2020

The woman had recently had her parents visit her in Shanghai, who come from the area nearby Wuhan, where the virus originated.

The man who contracted the coronavirus came in contact with his colleague from Shanghai while she was attending the company's training in Starnberg, in Germany. 

#Coronavirus death toll climbs and virus continues to spread, reaching Germany for the first time pic.twitter.com/yDwKTDgJEu

— Ruptly (@Ruptly) January 28, 2020

The man had fallen ill with bronchitis-like symptoms over the weekend. The company where both colleagues work had been notified of their Chinese colleague's illness, knowing by then that she had coronavirus. Upon sharing the news with their German team, everyone who had been in close contact with her had to be checked. 

It turns out the man in question did indeed have coronavirus. He is being closely monitored and is in a "medically good state" according to the health authority. 

Germany confirms first human transmission of #coronavirus.https://t.co/zBuMMJosuA pic.twitter.com/vcvcQULbg6

— Maneesh ?? (@winsplit) January 28, 2020

People who have been in contact with him and his colleague from China have been informed of possible symptoms, to know what to look out for. 

Global numbers

Only a small number of the international coronavirus cases have stemmed from human-to-human transmission. Most infected people had either visited China recently, and a small number have contracted the virus from family members. 

This is the first reported case in Europe of human-to-human transmission. 

Confirmed #coronavirus cases worldwide as of January 28 - 7:00 GMT:
China : 4527 & 106 deaths
(HK, Macau): 15
Thailand: 14
Taiwan: 6
Japan: 5
Singapore: 5
Australia: 5
U.S.: 5
South Korea: 4
Malaysia: 4
France: 3
Vietnam: 2
Canada: 2
Cambodia: 1
Sri Lanky: 1
Germany: 1
Nepal: 1 pic.twitter.com/bnUEYbtQJQ

— Coronavirus Updates (@CoronaVUpdates) January 28, 2020

Currently, the death toll of the virus has reached 106, with over 4,500 confirmed cases in China alone. Globally, the number of infected people lies around 70, with numbers increasing each day.

There is currently no vaccine or precise treatment for the coronavirus. Biotech companies are rushing to try and create a vaccine.