Things You Need To Know About The Coronavirus

There are lots of questions in our mind wondering what this virus is all about. What is it and how worried we should be?

What are the symptoms caused by the virus and how is it transmitted from one person to another? What point should we see a doctor? And how to protect ourselves?

Before we panic, let’s get familiar about it first and know our capability of preventing ourselves from acquiring it.

This article is simplified for layman’s understanding and is based on facts acquired solely from researches, news and different articles scientifically stipulated by medical professionals and experts worldwide.

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What is Coronavirus?

The name “coronavirus” is derived from the Latin word corona and the Greek κορώνη (korṓnē, “garland, wreath”), meaning crown or halo. This refers to its characteristic appearance under the microscope.

Furthermore, it is a novel coronavirus, a member of the coronavirus family that has never been encountered before. Like other coronaviruses, it has come from animals.

It has been suggested that the coronaviruses have been coevolved with bats for a long time and the ancestors of SARS virus first infected the species of the genus Hipposideridae, subsequently spread to species of the Rhinolophidae and then to civets, and finally to humans. ⁽¹⁾

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What is Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)?

In December 2019, a pneumonia outbreak was reported in Wuhan, China. On 31 December 2019, the outbreak was traced to a novel strain of coronavirus, which was labeled as 2019-nCoV by the World Health Organization (WHO).

As of 30 January 2020 (16:00 UTC), the number of deaths was 214 and more than 8,230 confirmed cases in this coronavirus pneumonia outbreak. ⁽²⁾

NUMBER OF CORONAVIRUS CASES

(as of 02 Feb 2020)

Mainland China: 11,221 
Thailand: 19 
Japan: 17 
Singapore: 16
Hong Kong: 13
South Korea: 11
Taiwan: 10
Australia: 9
Malaysia: 8
Germany: 7
Macau: 7
U.S.: 7
France: 6
United Arab Emirates: 4
Canada: 3
Italy: 2
Russia: 
UK: 2
Vietnam: 2
Cambodia: 1
Finland: 1
India: 1
Nepal: 1
Philippines: 1
Spain: 1
Sri Lanka: 1
Sweden: 1

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What are the other previous coronaviruses ?

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome (MERS) are both caused by coronaviruses that came from animals.

In 2003, following the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) which had begun the prior year in Asia, and secondary cases elsewhere in the world, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a press release stating that a novel coronavirus identified by a number of laboratories was the causative agent for SARS. The virus was officially named the SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV). Over 8,000 people were infected, about 10% of whom died. ⁽³⁾

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Is 2019-nCoV the same as the MERS-CoV or SARS virus?

No. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some causing illness in people and others that circulate among animals, including camels, cats and bats. The recently emerged 2019-nCoV is not the same as the coronavirus that causes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) or the coronavirus that causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). However, genetic analyses suggest this virus emerged from a virus related to SARS. There are ongoing investigations to learn more. ⁽⁴⁾

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What are the symptoms caused by the Novel coronavirus?

In humans, the symptoms are similar to any other upper respiratory infections, including runny nose, cough, sore throat, and sometimes a fever. ⁽⁴⁾

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), for confirmed 2019-nCoV infections, reported illnesses have ranged from people being mildly sick to people being severely ill and dying. Symptoms can include:

• Fever
• Shortness of breath

Also, CDC believes at this time that symptoms of 2019-nCoV may appear in as few as 2 days or as long as 14 after exposure. This is based on what has been seen previously as the incubation period of MERS viruses.

In animals, some strains cause diarrhoea in pigs and in turkeys. Most of the time, infections can be compared to a bad cold, causing mild to moderate upper respiratory problems such as a runny nose and sore throat. ⁽⁵⁾

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How is the virus transmitted?

When person-to-person spread has occurred with MERS and SARS, it is thought to have happened mainly via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes, similar to how influenza and other respiratory pathogens spread. Spread of SARS and MERS between people has generally occurred between close contacts. ⁽⁶⁾

Ways in which the virus can spread from person to person include the following forms of contact:

• Droplets (after someone who has the virus coughs or sneezes)
• Touch (e.g., shaking hands with an infected person or touching an object that contains the virus and then touching your mouth, eyes, or nose prior to washing your hands)
• Feces (fecal-oral spread from infected patients which is rare)

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How is it diagnosed?

The diagnosis of a routine coronavirus infection (cold symptoms) involves a medical history, including travel history, and a physical examination. Most often, the patient will be diagnosed with a cold, and sent home.

If your symptoms are severe, your healthcare team may order tests to specifically check for the virus. This is done by taking a sample of your blood and/or a swab from your nose or throat.

According to the New England Journal of Medicine and the CDC, specimens from the lower respiratory tract (such as sputum, tracheal aspirate, or bronchoalveolar lavage), upper respiratory tract (such as nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swab or nasopharyngeal wash), and serum were obtained from patients. Then, RNA was extracted and tested by real-time RT-PCR (polymerase chain reaction) with 2019-nCoV–specific primers and probes.

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Treatment

There is no vaccine for coronavirus. Instead, the treatment for mild coronavirus infections is supportive, which means doing things to ease your symptoms.

You treat a coronavirus infection the same way you treat a cold:

• Get plenty of rest.
• Drink fluids.
• Use a cool-mist humidifier to help soothe your cough, ease a sore and scratchy throat.
• Take over-the-counter medicine for a sore throat and fever such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen.

Important Note

Do not give your child or teenager aspirin or aspirin-containing products due to their risk of Reye syndrome, a potentially fatal condition.

Here are therapeutic COVID-19 remedies which can be found in your home. 

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Prevention

To help prevent a coronavirus infection, do the same things you do to avoid the common cold:

• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water or with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Keep your hands and fingers away from your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Avoid close contact with people who are infected.

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At what point should you go to the doctor?

If you are sick, contact a doctor if they get worse or don’t go away.

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Global Public Health Measures

On January 30, 2020, WHO declared the 2019-nCoV outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.

The WHO does not recommend international travel restrictions but does acknowledge that movement restriction may be temporarily useful in some settings. They advise exit screening for international travelers from areas with ongoing transmission of 2019-nCoV to identify individuals with fever, cough, or potential high-risk exposure. ⁽⁷⁾

In China, health officials announced a restriction of public transportation within and a halt of air and rail traffic out of Wuhan and other surrounding areas. ⁽⁸⁾ In the United States, the CDC recommends that individuals avoid all nonessential travel to China;⁽⁹⁾ citizens returning from the Hubei province are undergoing a 14-day quarantine, citizens from other parts of China are undergoing screening for signs of illness on arrival (with subsequent self-monitoring), and foreign nationals who have been in China in the prior 14 days are temporarily suspended from entry.

WHO also advises general measures to reduce transmission of infection, including diligent hand washing and respiratory hygiene and avoiding close contact with live or dead animals and ill individuals. It notes that for people without respiratory symptoms, wearing a medical mask in the community is not required, even if 2019-nCoV is prevalent in the area; wearing a mask does not decrease the importance of other general measures to preventing infection, and it may result in unnecessary cost and supply problems. ⁽¹⁰⁾

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Should we panic?

As much as possible, DO NOT panic. Perform strict preventive measures, take care of yourself, boost your immune system and avoid travelling outside the country.

Live a normal life. The important thing now is your awareness of what the disease basics are and how you could prevent yourself from acquiring it.

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Resources:
1. https://www.webmd.com/lung/coronavirus#2
2. https://www.sciencealert.com/coronavirus
3. https://www.emedicinehealth.com/pcr_polymerase_chain_reaction_test/article_em.htm

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Author’s Notes

Indeed, 2019-nCoV is concerning because of its significant potential to spread worldwide infecting citizens from around the globe leading to deaths of several people. As a result, we naturally become anxious and petrified of what would happen next considering the information brought about by the news and different social media platforms.

If you are worried that you may have been exposed to this newly-described virus, always remember that it is a good idea to seek medical care promptly.

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