Supervisor Elham AbolFateh
Editor in Chief Mohamed Wadie

What Is Novel Coronavirus? Dr. Badran Answers


Sun 26 Jan 2020 | 12:40 AM
Hassan El-Khawaga

A newly identified coronavirus has been spreading in China and has now reached several other countries.

Initial information shared by China and WHO indicates that the novel coronavirus is genetically similar to SARS-like coronaviruses obtained from bats in Asia. Coronaviruses are types of viruses that typically affect the respiratory tract of mammals, including humans.

They 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) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome( SARS).

A novel coronavirus is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans, Dr. Magdy Badran says.

Human coronaviruses were first identified in the 1960s in the noses of patients with the common cold. They were given their name based on the crown-like projections on their surfaces. "Corona" in Latin means "halo" or "crown."

Coronaviruses and Common Cold

Coronaviruses are responsible for between 15 and 30 percent of common colds. Two human coronaviruses are responsible for a large proportion of common colds OC43 and 229E.

Among humans, the infection most often occurs during the winter months as well as early spring. As with most respiratory infections, coronavirus-caused colds are more common in the winter because of closer contact.

Major outbreaks occur every few years with a cycle that depends on the type of virus involved.

Most people harbor anti-coronavirus antibodies but reinfection is common indicating that there are many circulating serotypes of the virus in the human population.

Most coronavirus infections go undiagnosed and the disease is self-limiting. Diagnosis can be carried out using immuno-electron microscopy and serology.

It is not uncommon for a person to become ill with a cold that is caused by a coronavirus and then catch it again about four months later. This is because coronavirus antibodies do not last for a very long time. Also, the antibodies for one strain of coronavirus may be useless against other strains.

An Outbreak of Pneumonia

An outbreak of pneumonia of unknown etiology in Wuhan City was initially reported to WHO on December 31, 2019.

Chinese health authorities have confirmed more than 40 infections with a novel coronavirus as the cause of the outbreak. Reportedly, most patients had epidemiological links to a large seafood and animal market. The market was closed on January 1, 2020.

At least 1,300 people are known to have been infected, and at least 41 have died. Most of those infected lived in Wuhan, a city of 11 million in central China, or had recently traveled there.

To date, 16 health care workers are reported to have been infected. Cases are now reported across 29 provinces in China and 84% were from Hubei province (including Wuhan City).

Also, as of 25 January 2020, a small number of cases have been diagnosed, mostly in travelers from Wuhan, in Australia (1 case), France (3 cases), Hong Kong (5 cases), Japan (2 cases), Macau (2 cases), Republic of Korea (2 cases), Singapore (3 cases), Taiwan (3 cases), Thailand (5 cases), the United States of America (2 cases), and Vietnam (2 cases).

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Transmission

A zoonotic source to the outbreak has not been identified yet, but investigations are ongoing. Although evidence is still emerging, information to date indicates the human-to-human transmission is occurring.

Hence, precautions to prevent human-to-human transmission are appropriate for both suspected and confirmed cases. Infections have been reported in health care workers in China.

The routes of transmission of the novel coronavirus are not known; however, other coronaviruses are mainly transmitted by large respiratory droplets and direct or indirect contact with infected secretions. In addition to respiratory secretions, other coronaviruses have been detected in blood, feces, and urine.

Under certain circumstances, airborne transmission of other coronaviruses is thought to have occurred via unprotected exposure to aerosols of respiratory secretions and sometimes fecal material.

Symptoms

People who get infected with the novel coronavirus develop acute, serious respiratory illness with fever, cough, shortness of breath, breathing difficulties, myalgia or fatigue.

The novel coronavirus infection generally presents as pneumonia. It causes kidney failure and death in some cases. Less common symptoms are sputum production, headache, hemoptysis, diarrhea, and dyspnoea.

One child with the virus did not show any symptoms. People with the virus have shown a range of symptoms, from very mild to very severe.

But an asymptomatic infection raises the question of whether people have to be showing signs of the disease to pass it to people, a question that experts are rushing to answer.

Complications included acute respiratory distress syndrome, acute cardiac injury, secondary infection and death.

Risk Assessment

Governments around the world have been screening passengers from Wuhan at ports of entry for signs of illness.

North Korea temporarily barred foreign tourists, most of whom come from China. The Chinese authorities have closed off transportation links from Wuhan and other affected cities, encircling roughly 50 million people. Bus service between provinces has been curtailed, as has traveled abroad.

The government is building two new hospitals to handle coronavirus patients; they will be finished in about two weeks.

Large public gatherings and performances have also been banned in Wuhan, and the government announced that all of the viral family, SARS, and MERS, have had high residents were required to wear masks in public to help prevent the disease from spreading. Movie theaters were closed throughout much of the country.

It is too soon to know the death rate for the new virus. Influenza kills more people every year, but its mortality rate is only about 0.1%. The number of deaths is high because so many people become infected.

The death rate of the pandemic Spanish flu in 1918 was about 2%. Epidemics caused by other members death rates: 10% for SARS, and about 35% for MERS.

Prevention

There is currently no vaccine to prevent the novel coronavirus infection. The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to this virus. The main treatment is supportive care, including making sure the patient is getting enough oxygen.

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing seek medical care early and share previous travel history with your health care provider.

When visiting live markets in areas currently experiencing cases of a novel coronavirus, avoid direct unprotected contact with live animals and surfaces in contact with animals.

The consumption of raw or undercooked animal products should be avoided. Raw meat, milk or animal organs should be handled with care, to avoid cross-contamination with uncooked foods, as per good food safety practices.