(LEAD) S. Korea confirms 7th new coronavirus case

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details in para 2; ADDS new info from para 5; CHANGES photo)

SEOUL, Jan. 31 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported its seventh new coronavirus case Friday as the country is struggling to contain the rapid spread of the novel virus with enhanced quarantine efforts.

According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), a 28-year-old South Korean man who visited Wuhan, the Chinese city at the epicenter of the virus outbreak, returned home via Qingdao on Jan. 23.

But he did not show any related symptoms upon arrival at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul.

The patient complained of a mild cold three days later and visited a clinic Tuesday when he had a fever at which time doctors checked him for the novel virus. The patient was quarantined immediately.

The KCDC said it is trying to track those who have been in contact with him.

Seoul has tightened its quarantine rules and started to check everyone that returned from Wuhan, regardless of any signs of the illness.

Common symptoms of the coronavirus include fever, sore throat and breathing difficulties, with more acute cases involving chills and muscle pain.

South Korea confirmed its first case of the new strain of coronavirus on Jan. 20. On Thursday, the country reported two more cases, with one believed to be potentially the country's first person-to-person transmission.

Worldwide, 9,805 cases had been reported in 22 countries as of early Friday, with 213 people dying from the illness so far.

yonngong@yna.co.kr
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