Initially surfacing in the commercial city of Wuhan, China, the Chinese Coronavirus has now spread to several other cities in and outside the country. China banned transport to and from Wuhan as authorities try to stop the deadly virus from spreading to other cities. At the time of this writing, the virus had already claimed the lives of 56 people.
What is the Wuhan Coronavirus?
Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that infect mammals and birds. The virus responsible for the recent outbreak is, in fact, a never-before-seen type of Coronaviruses. The potentially deadly virus is named 2019-nCoV (2019 Novel CoronaVirus).
How deadly is 2019-nCoV?
Though most coronaviruses are not dangerous, scientists and researchers have yet to fully understand the destructive potential of the Wuhan coronavirus. So far, it is concluded that 2019-nCoV is not as dangerous as MERS and SARS_two of the deadly coronavirus outbreaks in the recent past.
Speaking to the Bussiness Insider, Eric Toner, a scientist at John Hopkins University was of the opinion that though Wuhan coronavirus seems to be more contagious than SARS, it is still far milder in severity.
An initial first impression is that this is significantly milder than SARS, that’s reassuring. On the other hand, it may be more transmissible than SARS, at least in the community setting, said Scott.
Who should be more concerned?
Though such an infection is generally not lethal, those who have a week immune system should definitely be concerned.
- People who have a past medical record that shows their immune system is week.
- Those who have recently recovered from a disease that has possibly weakened their immune system.
- Those who are already suffering from some type of health ailment and are under medication.
- Women in pregnancy.
- People over the age of 60.
This table shows the number of Wuhan coronavirus cases and deaths reported in different countries by January 27, 2020.
Important note: According to WHO, due to an average gap of 10 days between the actual infection and detection, the actual cases maybe 10 times more than the reported.
Preventative measures
Prevention is always better than cure right! So, why not take these simple precautionary measures to avoid an infection than to struggle with everything that comes with the infection.
Here is what you can do once a couple of cases are registered in your city/locality:
- Wear a mask when going outdoors.
- Thoroughly wash your hands 4-5 times a day with soap.
- Avoid munching outdoors.
- Keep an eye on your interactions with people. Reduce to a minimum if needed.
- Avoid touching your mouth and eyes.
What are the symptoms of infection?
The symptoms of 2019-nCoV are similar to that of any other cold-causing virus. Coronaviruses cause respiratory infections in humans which are usually mild. If you have any of these symptoms, you definitely can’t say if it’s 2019-nCoV, another coronavirus or any other cold-causing virus like rhinovirus. Below are the common symptoms:
- Fever(in 90% of the cases).
- Fatigue and dry cough (in 80% of the cases)
- Shortness of breath (in 20% of the cases).
- Runny nose.
- Sore throat.
What to do if you get an infection?
Do what you do to treat the common cold. There is no vaccine available for these viruses. If it’s not Novel Coronavirus, the symptoms should go away within a few days. Take the following steps to recover quickly:
- Drink fluids and keep your body hydrated.
- Take plenty of rest.
- Over the counter medication to relieve sore throat and reduce fever. (please consult your doctor and don’t take this as medical advice)
- Drink hot Lemon-honey water: Take a glass of hot water, squeeze one small-sized lemon. Add a spoon of honey, mix well and drink twice a day.
- Because the disease is contagious, wear a mask and thoroughly wash your hands with soap before handling anything.
Wuhan Coronavirus FAQs
[ppmaccordion][ppmtoggle title=”What is the coronavirus incubation period?”]It is the time from getting a coronavirus infection and showing the actual symptoms of the illness. For 2019-nCoV, the incubation period is 2-14 days. The virus is contagious during this time as well. [/ppmtoggle] [ppmtoggle title=”When does a coronavirus infection become dangerous?”]The coronavirus illness is a flue-like ailment. The illness is not lethal during the upper respiratory infection period. If the illness prolongs, it infects the lower respiratory system and causes pneumonia. That’s when the illness is considered dangerous. [/ppmtoggle] [ppmtoggle title=”What age groups were among the outbreak deaths?”]According to the latest reports from China, most of the people who died as a result of the outbreak were above the age of 70.[/ppmtoggle][/ppmaccordion]