Blog - What is new coronavirus and how deadly is it ?

What are Coronaviruses ?

Coronaviruses are a broad family of viruses that cause upper-respiratory illnesses, ranging from the common cold to severe viruses.

Recent coronaviruses outbreaks include SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), which killed almost 800 people worldwide during the 2002-2003 outbreak and started in China, and MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome) first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012, every 3 or 4 out of 10 patients who reported with MERS has died (CDC 2020a).

Novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans. Coronaviruses are zoonotic, which means they are transmitted between animals and people (WHO 2020).

It was previously thought that this particular virus could only be passed from animals to humans, but it has since been revealed that several of the infected people were not in Wuhan during the outbreak and may have caught it from family members or medical staff.

What are the symptoms ?

Symptoms are similar to a common cold. They include:

* A runny nose
* Headache
* Cough
* Fever
* Shortness of breath
* Chills
* Body aches

In most cases, you won't know whether you have a coronavirus or a different cold-causing virus, such as rhinovirus.

But if a coronavirus infection spreads to the lower respiratory tract (your windpipe and your lungs), it can cause pneumonia, especially in older people, people with heart disease or people with weakened immune systems.

To help prevent infection, do the same things you do to avoid the common cold such as using alcohol-based anti-bacterial soaps and sprays.

People should also avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth - and avoid contact with people who are infected.

How coronavirus infections are Diagnosed ?

Coronavirus infections are diagnosed by a health care provider based on symptoms and laboratory tests. In some cases, travel history may be important.

How does it spread ?

Health officials believe the virus can be passed from person to person via exchange of fluids from the respiratory tract.

What is the Treatment for this Virus ?

There are no virus-specific treatments for 2019-nCoV. The CDC suggests supportive care to manage and relieve symptoms. There is no approved vaccine available for this virus.

If traveling to Wuhan, you should avoid contact with sick people, avoid dead or alive animals, animal markets or products that come from animals such as uncooked meat. You should often wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, they wrote. If you are infected by the virus you can take steps to help avoid transmitting it to others such as isolating yourself at home, separating yourself from other people in the house, wearing a face mask, covering your coughs and sneezes and washing your hands.

People who traveled to Wuhan and became sick with fever, cough or difficulty breathing within the following two weeks should seek medical care right away, and call ahead to inform medical staff about their recent travel