Coronavirus: What you need to know about this deadly virus

Mar 01, 2020 Dr Zulfikar Bux, Features / Columnists

By Dr Zulfikar Bux
Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine

I’m certain that you have heard about the outbreak of the Coronavirus that’s rapidly spreading and becoming a global pandemic. It has not reached Guyana (and hopefully it doesn’t) but there is a real risk of it coming here.
Today, I will discuss the facts about this deadly virus, so that you can be educated and help combat unnecessary myths about it.

WHAT IS THE CORONAVIRUS?

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that can cause respiratory illness in humans. They get their name, “corona,” from the many crown-like spikes on the surface of the virus. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and the common cold are examples of coronaviruses that cause illness in humans.
Last December, an outbreak of a new strain of coronavirus, called COVID-19, was reported in Wuhan, China. Travelers from that area of the world have since carried the virus to over 50 other countries.

HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE INFECTED WITH THE NEW COVID-19 VIRUS?

The number of people infected changes daily. Organisations that collect this information, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are gathering information and continuously learning more about this outbreak. There is a very strong concern that this will become a global pandemic. You can visit the websites of these organisations for accurate information about the current numbers of infection.

HOW EASY IS IT TO CATCH COVID-19 VIRUS FROM AN INFECTED PERSON?

Researchers are still gathering information on all the possible ways that this virus can be contracted.
Persons at greatest risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus would be:
Anyone who has a fever and symptoms of lower respiratory illness (cough, difficulty breathing).
AND
• Has traveled – within 2 weeks of developing symptoms – to Wuhan, China or another country where the outbreak has spread OR has been in close contact with a person who has a laboratory-confirmed or suspected case of the COVID-19 virus.
People who meet these criteria, should be evaluated by their healthcare provider and quarantined.

HOW DOES COVID-19 VIRUS SPREAD FROM PERSON TO PERSON?

Scientists are not totally sure how the new COVID-19 coronavirus is spread. However, it’s likely that the new virus is spread the same way as other human coronaviruses, like the cold, are spread:
• By breathing in the airborne virus from an infected person’s cough or sneeze.
• From close contact (touching, shaking hands) with an infected person.
• By touching surfaces containing the virus, then touching your eyes, mouth, or nose before washing your hands.

WHERE DO CORONAVIRUSES COME FROM?

Coronaviruses are often found in bats, cats and camels. The viruses live in, but do not infect the animals. Sometimes these viruses then spread to different animal species. The viruses may change (mutate) as they transfer to other species. Eventually, the virus can jump from animal species and begins to infect humans.
In the case of the new COVID-19 virus, the first people infected in Wuhan, China, are thought to have contracted the virus at a food market that sold meat, fish and live animals.
Although researchers don’t know exactly how people were infected, they already have evidence that the virus can be spread directly from person to person through close contact. This means being within six feet of someone for an extended period of time who has been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF THE COVID-19 INFECTION?

Patients with confirmed infection from the COVID-19 virus reported these respiratory symptoms 2 to 14 days after exposure:
• Fever (not always present).
• Difficulty breathing/Shortness of breath.
• Cough.
They can be present with mild to severe symptoms. While some patients survived it like the regular flu at home, others were hospitalised and needed ventilatory (breathing) support. Some did not survive the illness. The death rate is around 2% in developed systems, but researchers are fearful that this will be much higher in underdeveloped systems that do not have sufficient resources to combat this condition.

HOW IS THE NEW COVID-19 VIRUS TREATED?

No drugs are specifically approved to treat the new COVID-19 virus. An infection caused by this coronavirus would be treated with the same support care and preventive measures used to treat other coronaviruses such as a cold

HOW CAN YOU PREVENT GETTING THE COVID-19 VIRUS?

While there aren’t any cases in Guyana currently, it certainly doesn’t hurt to review some of the steps, which you can take to prevent getting other viruses, such as the common cold or the flu. These steps will be very helpful if there is an outbreak here (hopefully there isn’t).

• Wash your hands—especially before eating and preparing food, after using the bathroom, after wiping your nose, and after coming in contact with someone who has a cold.
• Avoid touching your eyes and nose to prevent the spread of viruses from your hands.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when sneezing and coughing or sneeze and cough into your sleeve. Wash your hands afterward.
• Avoid contact with those who have a cold. Stay home if you are sick.
• Clean frequently used surfaces (such as doorknobs) with a virus-killing disinfectant.
• Use hand sanitisers when water is not available.
• Get enough sleep, eat a healthy diet, drink plenty of liquids and exercise if you are able. These steps will strengthen your immune system and enable you to fight off infections easier.
The threat from the coronavirus is very real; spread the correct information about this condition and help debunk unnecessary myths about it that will not benefit anyone.