- Authorities in Hubei, China, are searching for unreported infections by investigating individuals who recently purchased fever and cough medicine.
- Provincial health authorities on Tuesday issued an order to pharmacies and medical centers to report the name, address, and other personal details of people who had purchased those medicines since January 20.
- This detection method is the latest move in the province's crackdown on the coronavirus, which originated in the city of Wuhan, located in Hubei province.
- The coronavirus, formally known as COVID-19, has killed more than 2,000 people, and infected more than 75,000 globally.
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Authorities in Hubei, China, are sweeping the province for undetected coronavirus cases by identifying and investigating individuals who recently purchased fever and cough medicine.
A notice published by Hubei's Zhuxi county and multiple state media outlets saying that those who bought the medicine after January 20 would be investigated for the coronavirus.
CNBC reporter Eunice Yoon also wrote in a tweet that pharmacies in 10 cities in the Hubei have stopped selling the drugs to prevent people from attempting to self-treat the disease.
The detection method is the latest move in the province's attempt to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, which originated in the city of Wuhan in the Chinese province of Hubei, and has killed over 2,000 people and infected more than 75,000 globally.
The coronavirus outbreak, which emerged late last year, has been rapidly spreading as doctors race to treat the disease and scientists try to understand more about it.
China has also imposed an unprecedented quarantine on the epicenter of the outbreak in Wuhan, which has a population of about 11 million people. More than a dozen Chinese cities have since followed suit, encompassing nearly 50 million people.
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#HubeiProvince is sweeping for unidentified #coronavirus cases thru purchases of fever and cough medicines at physical drug stores and online. Those who bought the drugs since Jan 20 will be investigated. Sellers need to report buyers' identities. Notice from Huanggang in Hubei: pic.twitter.com/DrF3yFC2Lq
- Eunice Yoon (@onlyyoontv) February 19, 2020Pharmacies in ten cities in Hubei (other than Wuhan) stopped selling these drugs as of Feb 16. Cities in Zhejiang and Hainan Provinces have taken similar measures. #coronavirus #China
- Eunice Yoon (@onlyyoontv) February 19, 2020