The outbreak of a new virus novel coronavirus has till now affected 62 people and claimed 2 live Wuhan, a major city in China’s Hubei Province. The virus named 2019 novel-coronavirus (2019-nCov) and is reported to affect humans for the first time.
What is Coronavirus?
Novel Coranavirus is a term denoted by WHO and is also known as Wuhan coronavirus, Wuhan seafood market pneumonia virus and Wuhan pneumonia, It is a positive sense, single-stranded RNA coronavirus and was reported in 2019.
2019-novel coronaviruses are a new variant of coronaviruses and have been reported to affect humans for the first time. It consists of a family of a large number of viruses that can cause illness range from the common cold to more severe diseases such as the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). These viruses are zoonotic that means they can be transmitted from animals to humans.
Although the exact cause of the virus is not known previously the coronavirus has been identified to be transmitted from civet cats to humans( in case of SARS-Cov) and from riding camels to humans (in the case of MERS-CoV). These are only a few that have been identified but many are still many coronaviruses that circulate among the animals and are still not known.
The scientist in China is analyzing to find effective ways to identify the source of the virus and its impact. More cases have been reported of 2019-novel coronavirus infections in Thailand (two cases) and Japan (one case). They were returning from Wuhan.
The affected patients have been left isolated who are being treated at various medical institutions in China.Several Asian countries have issued health advisories in the wake of the 2019-nCoV outbreak in China.
Three major airports US–Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco- stated screening people coming from Wuhan on January 17.
Instructions from WHO
According to WHO, the human transmission of coronaviruses within patient families has been limited. No specific treatment is available for this infection but exiting anti-virus may be re-purposed.
Therefore has said that the infection may spread to other places and has issued guidelines based on the limited information available on this CnoV coronavirus. There has been no news about trade or travel restrictions yet.
The WHO as listed the following common signs to be observed in people affected by this virus:
- Fever
- Cough
- Shortness of breath and breathing difficulties
- Pneumonia
- Severe acute respiratory syndrome
- Kidney failure
- Death
Till Jan 3, there were 41 cases reported of this virus in Wuhan and n Jan 18, Wuhan Municipal health commission announced 4 more fresh cases. A day later 17 more fresh cases were introduced making a total count to 62.
The sequence of the Wuhan seafood market pneumonia virus is similar to those of beta coronaviruses found in bats but genetically distinct from other coronaviruses diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronaviruses (SARS) and Middle-East respiratory syndrome-related coronaviruses (MERS).
Starting of outbreak
A patient in Wuhan city reported complains of pneumonia-like symptoms and sought help at local hospitals in Wuhan city. Within days, many similar cases came up promoting health officials to investigate.
China informed the WHO bout these pneumonia cases emerging from unknown facts. Keeping these in mind, WHO issues guidelines based on the limited information available. On Jan 7, Chinese authorities found out the reason for pneumonia as 2019-nCoV. The animal form in which this disease is transferred is yet to be known.