CORONA VIRUS
Coronavirus
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.
Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people. Detailed investigations found that SARS-CoV was transmitted from civet cats to humans and MERS-CoV from dromedary camels to humans. Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans.
On 31 December 2019, the WHO China Country Office was informed of cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology (unknown cause) detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China. A novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) was identified as the causative virus by Chinese authorities on 7 January.
On 10 January, WHO published a range of interim guidance for all countries on how they can prepare for this virus, including how to monitor for sick people, test samples, treat patients, control infection in health centres, maintain the right supplies, and communicate with the public about this new virus.
Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.
Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.
Based on currently available information, WHO does not recommend any restriction of travel or trade. Countries are encouraged to continue strengthening their preparedness for health emergencies in line with the International Health Regulations (2005).
THE BIG QUESTIONS
- WHERE DID THE VIRUS COME FROM?
At the end of December, public health officials from China informed the World Health Organization that they had a problem: an unknown, new virus was causing pneumonia-like illness in the city of Wuhan. They quickly determined that it was a coronavirus, and that it was rapidly spreading through and outside of Wuhan.
Coronaviruses are common in animals of all kinds, and sometimes can evolve into forms that can infect humans. Since the start of the century, two other coronaviruses have jumped to humans, causing the SARS outbreak in 2002 and the MERS outbreak in 2012.
Scientists think this new virus first became capable of jumping to humans at the beginning of December. It appears to have first infected people at a seafood market in Wuhan, and spread from there.
The type of animal the virus originated from is not clear. One team of researchers in China published a report arguing that it came from snakes, based on the genetic code of the virus. However, scientists are very skeptical of that conclusion. Another analysis found that the genetic sequence of the new virus is 96 percent identical to one coronavirus found in bats. Both SARS and MERS originated in bats.
- Is this the same as SARS?
The new virus isn’t SARS, although that also began in China. Because it comes from the same viral family as SARS, it has some similarities, but it’s an entirely new virus. However, the commonalities mean scientists and public health officials can use what they’ve learned from the past outbreak to try to stop this one.
- HOW DANGEROUS IS THIS CORONAVIRUS?
The WHO says that researchers think each sick person will go on to infect between 1.4 and 2.5 additional people, though that’s only a preliminary estimate. Those numbers are called the virus’s R0 (pronounced ‘r-naught’) The R0 is the mathematical representation of how well an infection can spread — the higher the number, the faster it spreads. For comparison, the R0 for SARS was between 2 and 5. Quarantines and other actions taken to control outbreaks of a virus can bring down the number of people a sick person infects. Once that’s taken into account researchers can report the effective reproduction number, or the Rt. The goal is to push the Rt below 1, so sick people don’t infect others and the disease stops spreading.
It takes information about the severity and the transmissibility to determine how “bad” an illness can be. Epidemiologists often use this tool to assess new flus, for example, and guide decision-making:
The WHO says that researchers think each sick person will go on to infect between 1.4 and 2.5 additional people, though that’s only a preliminary estimate. Those numbers are called the virus’s R0 (pronounced ‘r-naught’) The R0 is the mathematical representation of how well an infection can spread — the higher the number, the faster it spreads. For comparison, the R0 for SARS was between 2 and 5. Quarantines and other actions taken to control outbreaks of a virus can bring down the number of people a sick person infects. Once that’s taken into account researchers can report the effective reproduction number, or the Rt. The goal is to push the Rt below 1, so sick people don’t infect others and the disease stops spreading.
It takes information about the severity and the transmissibility to determine how “bad” an illness can be. Epidemiologists often use this tool to assess new flus, for example, and guide decision-making:
- How can I protect myself?
Based on what we know so far, you can protect yourself with the same measures you’d take (and should be taking) to protect yourself against the flu: wash your hands, cover your mouth when you cough, and stay away from people who are sick.
- How at risk is the United States?
Until we know how easily the virus spreads, it’s hard to say how significant of an effect it could have in the United States. The CDC says the risk to people in the US is currently low.
The CDC is conducting enhanced health screenings this week for passengers who flew from or connected through Wuhan at five major airports: San Francisco International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Los Angeles International Airport, Chicago O’Hare International Airport, and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Any flights from or connecting through Wuhan will be funneled to those airports.
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