Coronavirus : Symptoms, Diagnosis, Precaution and Prevention

What Is a Coronavirus

WebMD reports, coronavirus causes infection in the nose, sinuses, or upper throat, first identified in the 1960s, whose name owes the crown-like shape that can infect both animals and humans at a time.

How Coronavirus spreads

Most coronaviruses spread through infected people coughing and sneezing, touching an infected person’s hands or face, or by contact with things like doorknobs infected by the virus.

The 2020 Outbreak

On 31 December 2019, WHO got several alerts of people infected with pneumonia in Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China whose virus remained unmatched with any other till date. After one week on 7th January, Chinese authorities confirmed the identification of a new virus, corona, the family contributing to a common cold, such as SARS and MERS which was temporarily named as “2019-nCoV.”

WHO has taken up the initiative with Chinese authorities and global experts to learn how it affects individuals, its treatment, and how other countries’ can extend their support to it.

The Source of origin of coronavirus

According to AlJazeera, Chinese health authorities who are yet on the process of determining its origin have attributed it to come from an animal source in Wuhan’s seafood market as the primary source of the outbreak, which deals with illegal wildlife trading.

Snakes like Chinese krait, cobra might be the second source according to Chinese scientists.

For your information

Common human coronaviruses include types 229E, NL63, OC43, and HKU1, causing mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract illnesses, like the common cold. Most people get infected with them at some point in their lives that usually last for a short time.

Also Read: Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse: Signs, Risks and Side Effects

Symptoms of coronavirus that you need to be aware of

WHO reports, signs of infection include fever, cough, a general feeling of being unwell, headache, sore throat, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties which in severe cases can lead to pneumonia, acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure, and even death. It can amount to middle ear infections in children as well.

The incubation period of the coronavirus is estimated to be between 10 to 14 days.

Diagnosis of coronavirus

Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports, that the healthcare provider may prescribe laboratory tests on respiratory specimens and serum to detect the presence of human coronaviruses in severe cases.

Informing about contact with camels or camel products is very important when diagnosing MERS.

Prevention and Precaution in the transmission of such disease like coronaviruses

The necessary guidelines by WHO for hand and respiratory hygiene, accompanied by safe food practices include:

• Frequently clean hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water
• When coughing and sneezing, cover mouth and nose with flexed elbow or tissue – throw the tissue away immediately and wash hands
• Avoid close contact with anyone affected by fever and cough
• If you are down with a fever, cough and difficulty breathing seek medical care immediately. Also, share your travel history with the doctor to detect the origin of the virus
• When visiting markets in areas affected by a novel coronavirus, avoid direct contact with living animals and surfaces in contact with them
• Consumption of raw or undercooked animal products should be avoided. Raw meat, milk or animal organs must be handled with caution to avoid cross-contamination from uncooked dishes as per healthy food practices.