Wuhan Coronavirus (2019 Novel Coronavirus, 2019-nCoV, COVID-19)

The Wuhan coronavirus is a single-stranded, positive-sense RNA coronavirus. It is a new strain of coronavirus (means crown) that is causing an outbreak of serious respiratory problems in Wuhan, China. Researchers think it originated from infected animals and jumped over to infecting people in a large open seafood/animal market. Also, the virus is capable of person-to-person transmission, spreading to at least to 16 countries in about 1 month. It is related to the SARS and MERS coronaviruses.

Risk factors for the virus include close contact with someone who has recently visited Wuhan, China; recent travel to Wuhan, China, and other cities experiencing this outbreak; close contact with anyone diagnosed with the virus; and coming in contact with secretions (for example, those produced by sneeze or cough) or feces from an infected person. Some investigators suggest that no wild animals be used for food in China or elsewhere.

Medical researchers estimate that the incubation period for a COVID-19 infection varies from 2 days to about 14 days. COVID-19 symptoms may begin like the flu but go on to develop fever, cough, and shortness of breath that is severe enough to warrant hospitalization in many patients. Although early in this outbreak, Chinese researchers suggest that people who are infected but don’t show symptoms (incubation period) may be contagious. This allows the virus to spread more effectively from person to person and makes it more difficult to isolate infected patients.

Many coronavirus types infect species of animals that occasionally (or rarely) are able to infect humans. MERS coronavirus is an example where the virus that usually only infected camels became able to infect humans. Wuhan coronavirus is similar as the initially infected people frequented an open-air food market that sold fish and animals, including wild animals. Medical researchers currently do not know the animal species infected, but wild animals are a suspected source. However, the rapid spread of the virus was due to person-to-person contact that has been responsible for the wide outbreak of this infection. Close contact with someone who is infected or with their secretions (for example, cough-generated droplets) or feces is how the virus spreads. Although this virus is contagious, the contagious period of time remains to be determined. Recent findings suggest it may be contagious even in the incubation period when the patient shows no symptoms.

Unfortunately, to date, there is no antiviral drug or vaccine to treat this infection. Symptom relief and supportive care (many requiring hospital care) are the current treatment methods. However, early supportive care may reduce the disease severity. If you have been exposed to the virus, put on a mask if one is available and call your doctor. Currently, in the U.S., only the CDC has tests to determine if an individual is infected with the virus, so doctors must safely package blood, swabs, and other specimens and sent them to the CDC.

Complications associated with this virus infection include

• difficulty breathing (may require a breathing machine),
• high fever,
• pneumonia,
• severe cough,
• organ failure (for example, kidney failure), and
• death.

The following are the directions given by the CDC for coronavirus prevention:

1. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
2. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
3. Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
4. Stay home when you are sick.
5. Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, and then throw the tissue in the trash.
6. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

In addition, because of the need of hospitalization for many infected people, governments have taken steps to limit the chances to spread infections by isolation techniques such as closing down public events and even preventing public transportation, and closing schools and work places (for example, China is limiting such venues in Wuhan and other close by cities that put about 57 million Chinese citizens in a partial or full lockdown or quarantine mode). The U.S. and other countries are chartering planes to remove their citizens from Wuhan and many surrounding Chinese cities. Several U.S. airports are screening people arriving from high-risk areas.

This outbreak is only about 1 month old, so determination of the mortality rate may change as the disease outbreak continues. For example, if hospitals become unable to give supportive care to patients because of lack of hospital beds due to overcrowding, the mortality rate will likely increase. However, if the outbreak is contained quickly and the hospitals have enough beds available to treat patients, the mortality rate may decrease. However, as of Mar. 24, 2020, there were about 414,277 infected people worldwide with 18,557 deaths, which gives COVID-19 a current mortality rate of about 4.48%. Unfortunately, there are many patients still in need of critical hospital care.

https://www.medicinenet.com/wuhan_coronavirus_2019-ncov/article.htm