What is known about the CoronaVirus
Mar 1, 2020 14:05:45 GMT -5
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Post by QuickSilver on Mar 1, 2020 14:05:45 GMT -5
This virus belongs to a family of viruses known as coronaviruses. Named for the crown-like spikes on their surfaces, they infect mostly bats, pigs and small mammals. But they mutate easily and can jump from animals to humans, and from one human to another.
Seven strains are known to infect humans, including this new virus, causing illnesses in the respiratory tract. Four of those strains cause common colds. Two others, by contrast, rank among the deadliest of human infections: severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, and Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS.
The virus infects the lower respiratory tract. Patients initially develop a fever, cough and aches, and can progress to shortness of breath and complications from pneumonia, according to case reports. They might develop nausea, with vomiting and diarrhea. Some become only mildly ill, or are infected but don’t get sick. Others are mildly ill for a few days, then rapidly develop more severe symptoms of pneumonia.
The mortality rate has ranged between 2% and about 3.4%, according to calculations of confirmed cases and deaths world-wide, which change daily. But the true rate won’t be known until epidemiologists can determine the denominator, meaning how many people have actually been infected. That number will include people who never had symptoms, or had a flulike illness but never got a test for Covid-19.
Adults of all ages have been infected, but the risk is highest for older people and those with other health conditions such as diabetes. Most of the 1,023 people whose deaths were included in a study by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention were age 60 or older, and/or had other illnesses. Many patients who have died were admitted to hospitals when their illness was advanced. One large study in China found a mortality rate of 14.8% in people ages 80 and older, and 8% in people ages 70 to 79, compared with a 2.3% mortality rate overall in the population studied.
It transmits through “respiratory droplets” when an infected person speaks, coughs or sneezes, according to the World Health Organization. The droplets spread through the air and can land on another person’s mouth or nose, or possibly be inhaled into their lungs, infecting them. The droplets can also settle on nearby surfaces, where they can survive for a period, though it isn’t known how long. A person can become infected by touching a contaminated surface, then touching their mouth, nose or eyes.
People become ill between two and 14 days after infection, according to most estimates. One report described a person who became ill 27 days after infection. However, Chinese researchers recently cited an average incubation period of 5.2 days.
The World Health Organization and other experts report that a mask's efficacy in social settings is inconclusive. But some health experts and mask makers say that properly used, the N95 respirator mask can guard against the new coronavirus.
The most important thing you can do is wash your hands frequently, for at least 20 seconds each time. Wash them regularly when you are at the office, when you come home, before you eat, and other times that you are touching surfaces. You can also use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth—viruses can enter your body that way. Wipe down objects and surfaces frequently with household cleaner, which will kill the virus. Maintain a distance from people who are sick.
Get a flu shot, if you didn’t get one already. Stock up on some supplies in case you have to stay home, infectious-disease experts say. To avoid cleaning out store shelves, just buy a few extras on your regular orders or trips to the store. Items to consider include shelf-stable foods like cans of beans, packages of rice and pasta, and beverages; pain relievers and other common medications; extra prescription medications; and hygiene and cleaning products.
www.wsj.com/articles/what-we-know-about-the-wuhan-virus-11579716128?mod=e2fb&fbclid=IwAR1JI5lWzDm_5MEbZdNcSLt8RhdPWScpMgj9UvnnraRe9HCxB_ozljhmffk&fbclid=IwAR3LnPqb1fB8iuDMW80CB_tFwt2DA1oQL2X4i8209Ltf9Sg3yrjZDLEk6jE
