Recently an outbreak of coronavirus has become an issue of a global health emergency. It started from Wuhan a city of china's Hubei province in December 2019. It has killed over 900 people till date. More than 40,000 cases have been reported all over the world, most of them are from China. The virus has since spread to many countries including India. In India there 3 confirmed cases of people infected from coronavirus in the state of Kerala.
According to WHO Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV)and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.
There are two types of coronavirus first SARS-CoV that were transmitted from civet cats to humans and second MERS-CoV that was transmitted from dromedary camels to humans. There has been researching conducted and the reports say that there are several known coronaviruses that are circulating in animals but that have not yet infected humans.
The novel coronavirus, identified by Chinese authorities on January 7 and named 2019-nCoV, is a new strain that had not been previously identified in humans.
There is very little information about the virus till date but transmission from animals to humans is confirmed.
Where did this virus originate?
On February 7, the Chinese researchers said the virus could have spread from an infected animal species to humans through illegally trafficked pangolins. Scientists have pointed to either bats or snakes as the original source of the virus. The WHO says that an animal source is most likely to be the mother of such an outbreak.
As reported by WHO common symptoms of the infection include respiratory symptoms, cold, cough, fever, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.
In more severe cases, the infection can cause pneumonia, SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), kidney failure and even death.
Well, its yet not known how much time the infection takes to show up the symptoms. There are cases where patients infected with the virus have not shown any of the above symptoms.
The cause of coronavirus is not yet confirmed, research is being conducted by the WHO.
The first coronavirus that transmitted to a human was in Wuhan the capital city of china's Hubei province through animals and the virus can spread through person to person. It is not confirmed that the virus only transmits from animals but reports say that these viruses are found in animals. So, the most logical connection of the virus infecting humans is transmitting through animals.
If a person is infected with the virus then the virus can spread from the person to others through close contact.
When coughing and sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue-throw the tissue immediately in a closed bin and clean your hands. Covering mouth and nose while sneezing and coughing prevent the spread of germs and viruses.
Hands touch many surfaces that can be contaminated with the virus. If you touch eyes, nose, and mouth with your contaminated hands, you can transfer the virus from the surface to yourself.
Whenever you have fever, cough, and shortness of breath it's important to seek medical attention as this may be due to a respiratory infection or other serious condition. Respiratory symptoms with fever can have a variety of causes, and depending on your personal travel history, 2019-nCoV can be diagnosed.
Ensure washing hands with soap after touching animals and animal products. Avoid contact with sick animals and potentially contaminated animal wastes or fluids on the soil or structures of the shops of markets.
Handle raw meat, milk or animal organs with care and proper hygiene measures.
Maintain at least 1-meter distance between yourself and other people, particularly those who are coughing, sneezing or having a fever.
Till date, there is no cure for coronavirus. Scientists and researches are studying pathogens. So, that they can derive appropriate medication or vaccines for treating the virus.
An opinionated girl and budding lawyer with a tad bit inclination towards writing, Sabri is an outspoken girl who loves to travel and write. If traveling was free, you might find her at a new spot each day.
