What are Corona Viruses?
Corona Viruses are a large family of viruses that are capable of causing numerous deadly diseases in mammals and birds. The name 'coronavirus' is derived from Latin word Corona which means crown. Actually, the coronavirus possesses crown-shaped spikes all around its body, so based on its appearance it was given its identity as coronavirus. Till now three types of coronaviruses (SARS, MERS and 2019 nCov)are found in human that are proved to be lethal. All these viruses target the respiratory tract and often leads to the death of people with low immunity power.
2019 nCov
This virus is a new type of coronavirus which was first discovered on 31st December in Wuhan, China. According to some officials, the seafood market where there was live animal trading is responsible for the transmission of the virus from animals to human. Even though the exact creature that is responsible for the spread of the virus is still unknown but some reports have mentioned that bats and snakes are likely to be the carrier of that virus.
Symptoms
. Fever
. Cough
. Shortness of Breath
CDC explains that the symptoms of the 2019 nCoV may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure. This is completely based on the incubation period of the MERS viruses which was previously seen.
No of cases
Till February 5, the coronavirus has infected more than 24,414 people and 491 individuals have passed away. Not only in China, but the cases of coronavirus are also present in more than 20 countries globally. However, the death rate and confirmed cases are tremendously increasing in the epicentre of a virus outbreak, Hubei province of China.
Efforts made by the Chinese Government
The largest lockdown in history was made by the Chinese Government to quarantine about 1 Billion people to prevent the overspread of the lethal coronavirus. This rational decision was highly praised by everyone globally. Moreover, the government also succeeded in establishing hospitals for corona infected patients in Wuhan in less than 10 days.
Besides all these, it also increases the duration of new year holidays so that people can stay inside their respective homes and the risk of increasing infected people will be comparatively less.
How are online media responding?
At the present context, the information related to the epidemic is really transparent compared to previous epidemics. Most of the media are describing the situation in a proper way whereas some of the online media are misusing the news for their self profit. The fake news is creating fear among people and they are making the condition worse. The plethora of outstanding media is working as a backbone to control the spreading of the virus through awareness videos and true information.
How is coronavirus transmitted?
As like simple flu, coronavirus also spreads from person to person with close contact. The droplets of body fluid such as saliva and mucus from an infected person are dispersed in the air if he/she coughs
or sneezes. If the healthy person touches the drop and if enters into the body, he/she is infected. According to scientists, coughs and sneezes can travel several feet and remain suspended in the air for up to 10 minutes. Due to the misconception in people regarding the transmission of the viruses through the animals, some people are even abandoning their pets like cats, dogs etc. which isn't a rational decision.
Prevention
Currently, there is no vaccine to prevent this deadly virus. The most effective way to prevent the infection is to avoid being exposed to the virus. However, the CDC has recommended some of the safety measures to protect ourselves from the transmission of respiratory viruses, like coronaviruses. They are as follows:
1. Wash your hands with flowing water for at least 20 seconds many times, especially after using the bathroom, before eating and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.
2. Avoid the habit of touching your face with hands.
3. Keep yourself away from the people who are sick.
4. Use N95 surgical mask in case you have to go out of your home.
5. Disinfecting the frequently touched surfaces.
Impact on the economy
According to a conservative forecast from Oxford Economics, China's economic growth is expected to slip this year to 5.6 %from 6.1% (last year) due to the impact of the virus. Not only the china's economy has been affected but also the global economy is in the state of decline. Many international companies that depend on Chinese factories to manufacture their products and rely on Chinese consumers for sales are already exhorting of costly issues. Apple, Starbucks and KFC have been temporarily closed down due to the outbreak of the virus. Numerous manufacturing companies are unable to start in the absence of workers. International airlines have cancelled their flight to China. Besides this, the tourism sector that used to earn a lot during this period of the year in China has been badly affected.
Even though the Chinese Government is making a lot of efforts to control the spread of the virus, but without the individual's support, it will completely go in vain. Everyone from their side should spread awareness and help to get rid of this global health issue very soon. We can fight against the demon virus with full patience and applying preventive measures.
References:
1. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/snakes-could-be-the-original-source-of-the-new-coronavirus-outbreak-in-china/
2. https://www.whatsorb.com/community/coronavirus-from-bat-to-snake-to-humans-fact-or-hypothesis
3. https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
4. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/symptoms.html
5. https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2020/01/coronavirus-spread-protect-200130115539072.html
6. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/03/business/economy/SARS-coronavirus-economic-impact-china.amp.html
7. https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/02/03/china-opens-virus-hospital-built-in-10-days/
8. https://www.malaymail.com/news/world/2020/01/24/china-building-1000-bed-hospital-over-the-weekend-to-treat-coronavirus/1831085
No comments:
Post a Comment