The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a global health emergency over a new coronavirus (COVID-19) that has killed more than 3,000 people worldwide following an outbreak in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. More than 89,000 cases of the infection have been reported globally, most of them in mainland China.
It was on 31st December that China informed the WHO that numerous cases of respiratory pneumonia were being reported in the Wuhan province. An unknown virus, unidentified until now, was the cause of this infection. This further delayed the recognition of the novel virus and its effect on the human body. On 7th January, China officially informed the WHO that a new kind of virus, belonging to the family of the coronavirus, was detected.
According to the WHO, coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).
These viruses were originally transmitted between animals and people. SARS, for instance, was transmitted from civet cats to humans while MERS moved to humans from a type of camel.
The name coronavirus comes from the Latin word corona, meaning crown or halo. Under an electron microscope, the image of the virus looks like a solar corona. This virus that originates in animal hosts becomes extremely dangerous when transferred from human to human.
The 229E (Alpha corona virus), NL63 (Alpha coronavirus), OC 43 (Beta coronavirus) and HKU1 (Beta coronavirus) are the types of coronavirus that commonly affect human beings. These deadly viruses can undergo genetic mutations after reaching the human body. MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome– Beta) and SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome – Beta) are the coronaviruses that have been detected until now. The novel coronavirus or the 2019 – nCoV is the latest virus that was detected in Wuhan.
Symptoms
Symptoms can range from mild illness to pneumonia. Some people will recover easily, and others may get very sick very quickly. People with coronavirus may experience:
* fever
* flu-like symptoms such as coughing, sore throat and fatigue
* shortness of breath
If you become unwell and think you may have symptoms of coronavirus, seek medical attention.
How it spreads
There is evidence that the virus spreads from person-to-person.
The virus is most likely spread through:
* close contact with an infectious person
* contact with droplets from an infected person’s cough or sneeze
* touching objects or surfaces (like doorknobs or tables) that have cough or sneeze droplets from an infected person, and then touching your mouth or face
Prevention
Everyone should practise good hygiene to protect against infections. Good hygiene includes:
* washing your hands often with soap and water
* using a tissue and cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze
* avoiding close contact with others, such as touching
Surgical masks in the community are only helpful in preventing people who have coronavirus disease from spreading it to others.
Read more about protective measures against coronavirus on the World Health Organization website.>>
Treatment
There is no treatment for coronavirus, but medical care can treat most of the symptoms. Antibiotics do not work on viruses.
If you have been diagnosed with coronavirus, isolate yourself in your home.