What is coronavirus and how dangerous is it?

THE outbreak of a new strain of coronavirus that began in the city of Wuhan in China in late December has shocked the world and has already caused the deaths of 56 people, with many more likely to die as the virus spreads. Countries are setting up control measures at airports to prevent the virus entering their borders.

WHAT IS CORONAVIRUS?

CORONAVIRUS was first identified in the 1960s but scientists believe it has been in the human “family” for 10,000 years.

It affects animals and birds and some strains are zoonotic, meaning they spread from animals to humans and then between humans. The current outbreak involves a new strain of coronavirus, a family of viruses that include the common cold and much more serious viruses such as SARS and MERS – see below.

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This new virus was temporarily named “2019-nCoV” but is now known as Wuhan Novel Coronavirus by most experts.

Like other coronaviruses, the new strain has come from animals with suspicion falling on a seafood and newly slaughtered animals wholesale market in the centre of Wuhan.

Cases have now been confirmed in Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Nepal, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam and the USA. There have been no confirmed cases in the UK at present.

HOW DANGEROUS IS IT?

IT is very dangerous. The virus causes pneumonia which can lead to organ failure and death, especially among those who already have pre-existing medical conditions.

The principal symptoms are coughs, followed by fever and breathing difficulties.

Doctors cannot treat the disease with antibiotics as the illness is caused by a virus and not bacteria, and even the antiviral drugs used against influenza are useless.

Victims who are admitted to hospital receive support treatment for their lungs and other organs, while extra fluids are a necessity for recovery.

Survival is very much down to the strength of an individual’s immune system. Many of those who have died are known to have been already in poor health, including people with weakened immune systems, older people, and those with long-term conditions such as diabetes, cancer and chronic lung disease.

WERE WE NOT HERE BEFORE WITH SARS?

SEVERE Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV) was an international viral epidemic that began in China and spread in similar fashion to the current coronavirus outbreak.

The Wuhan strain has been identified as having 70% genetic similarity to the SARS-CoV.

In 2002-03, Sars spread to 26 countries with confirmed cases, and a further 11 countries where cases were suspected but not confirmed. There was panic on a global scale, and no wonder as the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported more than 8000 people being infected. It is thought that between 750 and 800 people died from the virus.

The other well-known coronavirus which emerged in 2012 in Saudi Arabia was Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). It appears to be less easily passed from human to human, but is much more dangerous than Sars or the new strain of coronavirus killing 35% of about 2500 people who had been infected.

Both Sars and Mers were zoonotic – an infectious disease caused by bacteria, viruses and parasites that spread between animals – as is the new coronavirus.

WHAT’S IT LIKE IN WUHAN?

IN Wuhan, a city of 11 million people, life is on hold. In a bid to stop transmission of the virus, Wuhan and much of Hubei province has been subjected to a transport lockdown.

The Chinese authorities stopped Wuhan’s public transport system and greatly reduced taxi services. New restrictions were introduced yesterday, banning most cars from the streets.

Even if sick people reach the city’s overwhelmed hospitals, they may need to wait hours to see a doctors, such has been the scale of infections.

Some drivers have volunteered to transport possible victims, and the city authorities have given them special dispensations for humanitarian reasons.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN NOW?

HAVING endured SARS, the Chinese authorities are much better prepared for this outbreak and have taken swift action to try and curtail the spread of the virus. Even so, as huge numbers of people were in Wuhan when the outbreak started, and many thousands travelled across China and elsewhere, the spread of the virus has been inevitable.

WHAT OTHER DEADLY DISEASES ARE OUT THERE?

ACCORDING to WHO, Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is again on the increase in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. WHO reports that the number of new confirmed cases reported each week has remained stable over the past six weeks, with an average approximately 14 new EVD cases reported weekly.

As of January 21, a total of 3416 cases of EVD were reported, including 3297 confirmed and 119 probable cases. Of those, 2238 died, the overall case fatality ratio is 66%. If those figures were reflected with this new coronavirus, some 1200 people would already be dead.

SHOULD WE WORRY?

THERE is as yet no declaration of an international emergency from WHO. Health Protection Scotland advises that travellers returning from Wuhan who become unwell with a sore throat, cough or breathing difficulty with or without fever, within 14 days of their return, to call their GP or NHS 24 to see if further assessment is needed. Some 52 people have tested negative for the virus in the UK.