A new type of coronavirus may be responsible for dozens of viral pneumonia illnesses in China, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
As of Sunday, 59 people in the central Chinese city of Wuhan were being treated for the respiratory illness, and seven were in critical conditions, according to health officials.
As of Wednesday evening, the new coronavirus had been detected in 15 of those cases, CCTV reported. There was no immediate confirmation by Chinese health officials, the Associated Press reported.
The new coronavirus is different than previously identified ones, according to CCTV.
Some coronaviruses can cause colds, while others can trigger severe respiratory diseases such as SARS and MERS, the AP reported.