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A spurt of Coronavirus, buzz for global emergency

In 2002, china encountered a similar crisis with the spurt of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) virus but the infection of coronavirus is more widespread in terms of affected people.

Since 2005, there are five global emergencies reported including swine flu outbreak in 2009, polio in 2014, Ebola outbreak in 2014 and so in 2019, zika virus in 2016.

After the Ebola virus, the WHO declared the novel coronavirus outbreak as a global health emergency. The death toll has passed 300 and around 14000 infections are confirmed till now arising the need for an urgent call.

HISTORY OF CORONA VIRUS:

Corona virus was primarily discovered in 1960s.  The name corona virus is based on the Latin word called the corona which means halo or nimbus. When observed under an electronic microscope, the appearance of coronavirus resembles that of the solar halo. Scientifically, coronavirus is believed to belongs to a family of common rhinovirus including SARS and MERS which played havoc causing death of 774 and 858 people respectively in the year 2003 and 2012. It tend to dissipate from animals like civet cats and camels to human respectively. Various such viruses are circulating in animals which haven’t infected human yet.

A novel strain of coronavirus named 2019-novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is identified on January 7 by Chinese authority in the seafood market of Wuhan in Hubei province where wildlife are traded illegally. WHO asserts that this is the primary source of a corona virus outbreak. And also according to Chinese scientists, snakes are thought to be the carrier of the newly discovered virus.

VIRULENT EFFECT OF CORONA VIRUS:

Coronavirus mostly infects the upper respiratory tract including nose and sinuses characterized by symptoms of upper respiratory infections like running nose, coughing, sneezing and sore throat and sometimes fever. It can also cause middle ear infection in children and in severe cases if it spreads to lower respiratory tracts may causes pneumonia and even death in people with weaken immunity, especially in older people with heart disease.

Though its incubation period is not specified but estimated to be up to 10-14 days.

TRANSMISSION OF NOVEL CORONA VIRUS:

It spreads exactly as a common cold causing rhino virus via droplets of sneeze or cough by touching or cold-causing persons hand or face and also by touching the infected things used by the person.

HOW TO FIND OUT Coronavirus?

Overlapping symptoms with common cold make it difficult to diagnose whether the altering is infected with coronavirus or not. Various lab tests are performed to detect the presence of novel corona virus in sputum from nose and throat cultures and blood.

PROPHYLAXIS (WHAT SHOULD BE DONE):

Proper diagnosis may change the level of treatment of symptoms which usually go away. However no vaccines are discovered yet, but the symptoms can be treated with over the counter (OTC) medications for sore throat and fever except aspirin for children and teen younger than 19. Instead ibuprofen or acetaminophen is preferred. And take plenty of fluids and rest. Even humidifier or steamy shower may help you relieve from sore and scratchy throat. However, combination of two antiflu drug like lopinavir and ritonavir and anti-HIV have found to be effective to treat the viral infection caused by corona virus.

Recently, the Shanghai Institute of Material Medica and the Wuhan Institute of Virology had discovered that traditional herbal extract of Shuanghuanlian oral liquid is found to relieve symptoms by inhibiting the virulent action of coronal virus.

Anyhow, consult your doctor or health professional if the symptoms persist or worsens and don’t go away within few days.

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