- ITV Report
A new form of viral pneumonia is spreading in China and has already been detected in neighborhood countries.
In response to the outbreak of new strand of coronavirus, the World Health Organization has urged countries to “strengthen their preparedness for health emergencies”.
Meanwhile
the Chinese government is keen to avoid a repeat of SARS , or severe acute respiratory syndrome, another coronavirus that started in and killed nearly 2002 people.
But what is this new strand and what effect does it have on people?
Here’s what you need to know.
What is the virus? )
Travelers wear face masks as they walk outside of the Beijing Railway Station. Credit: AP
Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses causing illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome ( MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).
It is called a novel coronavirus (nCoV) when a new strain has been identified in humans.
Public Health England (PHE) is currently using the name Wuhan novel coronavirus (WN-CoV) for the new strand – named after where it was discovered – until there is an internationally accepted name for the virus and the disease or syndrome it causes. You may also see it referred to as the the (novel coronavirus) – nCoV) elsewhere.
(Where did the. virus come from?
On January 14 this year the novel coronavirus had been identified in samples obtained from cases.
Initial analysis suggested that this was the cause of the outbreak.
Many, but not all, of the cases identified in Wuhan had been to or worked in a seafood and live animal market in the city ( Huanan South China Seafood Market).
This market was closed on January 1, , and sanitized.
As of January , no additional cases had been detected in Wuhan since January 3.
Fever, fatigue and dry cough are the main symptoms in the early stage of illness and some patients may not progress to more severe illness, according to PHE.
Dyspnoea – a condition that causes difficulty with breathing – is said to be common in hospitalized patients, while vital signs were reported to be generally stable at the time of admission.
Older patients with an underlying disease were more likely to progress to severe disease.
As of January , six of the patients had recovered and been discharged, six have severe illness, and one patient died – though at least two more have died since.
One individual who died was
and had pre-existing significant medical conditions and required intensive care.
Some coronaviruses are passed on easily from person to person, while others are not.
Little is known about WN-CoV at this stage and investigations are ongoing but it is “reasonable to assume” the strand could be passed on between animals and humans, according to government advice.
That’s because many cases were associated with a market containing a range of dead and live animals.
According to PHE, authorities in China reported on January that an infected man had worked in the Huanan seafood market, but his wife, who is also a confirmed case, denied having been to the same market.
This means it is possible that there is limited human-to-human transmission within a family setting, but investigations are ongoing.
Other coronaviruses are airborne and can be passed on between humans.
Should tourists avoid any countries?
The World Health Organization is not currently recommending any trade or travel restrictions, based on information available.
When a disease is new, there is no vaccine until one is developed.
It can take a number of years for a new vaccine to be developed, according to WHO.
Last updated Mon 20 Jan 01575879
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