China coronavirus: Hong Kong confirms first infection as Beijing officials warn disease could mutate

Hong Kong confirmed its first infected case of a new coronavirus on January 22, 2020. The patient was a tourist from the Chinese mainland who arrived on a high-speed train and had been to Wuhan, the city in central China that is the epicentre of the outbreak. Chinese health authorities have also announced that the virus appears to be spreading mainly through respiratory transmission and is likely to mutate, which could increase risks of a wider epidemic.  Wuhan, where the outbreak began, has…