People all around the globe are worried about the appearance of a new deadly virus called 2019-nCoV. According to the latest data, the Wuhan-originated coronavirus has killed 17 people and infected at least 440 others in China. Nearly 50 people are in critical condition.
History of origin
Presumably, coronavirus has spread from the Wuhan's fish market in Hubei Province, China. According to experts, 41 people caught the virus there. Those infected complained of fever and breathing problems. On January 7, the first infected patient died in China.
After a Japanese man visited Wuhan City, the disease migrated to Japan. On January 10, he returned home and felt ill. After getting a fever, the man was hospitalized. As of now, he's been discharged from the hospital.
The countries where cases of infection were reported
According to the latest data, cases of infection have been confirmed in China, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. The first case was also reported in the United States.
What kind of disease is it and how to protect yourself
The pathogen, which belongs to the coronavirus family, causes pneumonia and respiratory problems. Specialists say that so far there is no reason to believe that new pneumonia will be as dangerous as the previous one, the so-called SARS, recorded in China in 2002.
As for the initial signs of the disease, they can easily be confused with other infections. In particular, the patient has a fever, pale skin, wet cough accompanied and chest pains, sweating and sharp weakness.
Chinese authorities said that the coronavirus is transmitted from person to person. At least two patients from Guangdong Province have caught a dangerous infection. Moreover, the physicians who came into contact with infected people also became ill.
Prevention of the coronavirus:
- washing your hands with soap or wiping them with alcohol-containing tissues;
- avoiding contact with anyone with symptoms of a cold or flu if possible;
- cooking meat and eggs well before eating;
- avoiding unprotected contacts with wild animals and livestock.
Statement by the World Health Organization
WHO representative Tariq Jazarevic told that there are 278 confirmed cases of 2019-nCoV worldwide and this number is rapidly increasing. Four cases were registered outside of China - two in Thailand, one in Japan and one in the Republic of Korea. The number of victims of the virus is also increasing in China.
"We don't know enough about how it is transmitted, the clinical characteristics of the disease, its severity, the extent of its spread or its causes," said Jazarevic.
The origin of the disease outbreak in China "seems to be of animal origin," he said. At the same time, "human-to-human transmission occurring between close contacts is limited".
The first videos with instructions on how to deal with the virus in China and prevent its spread have already appeared online.
