Chinese Report Says Illnesses may be From New Coronavirus

Nurses treat a patient for an unknown ailment in the intensive care unit of the No1 Hospital in Guangzhou, China on June 12, 2003. Peter Parks/AFP/GettyImages

BEIJING—A preliminary investigation into viral pneumonia illnesses sickening dozens of people in and around China has identified the possible cause as a new type of coronavirus, state media said on Jan. 9.

Chinese health authorities did not immediately conform the report from state broadcaster CCTV.