* Disclaimer: News is always evolving. Information here may have changed by the time of posting. *
The situation surrounding the novel coronavirus crafts new facets of tragedy almost every day. While in the whirlwind of new discoveries, what is confirmed and certain must also be grasped tightly to formulate educated decisions and keep people safe in this ensuing war against infection.
The Basics:
- Coronavirus is actually the name for a group of viruses that primarily cause respiratory infections. A big-name list would include [1]:
- The common cold
- Influenza
- SARS – Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (transferred from bats to civets to humans)
- MERS – Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (transferred from camels)
- The current 2019 Novel Coronavirus (novel = new, so the source is currently unconfirmed)Â
- The 2019 Novel Coronavirus is also known as:
- 2019-nCov (current temporary name) [2]
- Wuhan CoronavirusÂ
- Coronavirus
- Symptoms have ranged from nonexistent to severe illness, but here is what is most common [3]:
- FeverÂ
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
- Incubation period of 2-14 days (based on the MERS strand)
- There is currently no vaccine to prevent it [4]
History:
- The first known case appeared in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province of China, relating to its one meat market there [5]Â
- Since then, it has spread through person-to-person contact
- CDC’s website states that it does not recommend the general public to wear face masks for prevention [6]
- The 2019 virus’s genome is similar to the SARS strand, which was traced from a coronavirus that mostly affected bats [7]. It is suspected that the 2019 novel virus came from bats, however this information has not been scientifically reviewed [7] [18]
Currently:
- Confirmed Cases: 31,500+ [8]
- ~3,000-4,000 new cases have been successively confirmed each day [9]
- Death Toll: 638+ [8, 10]
- Recovered cases: 1700+ [8]
- Doctor Li Wenliang, amongst several others, tried to warn people about the virus beforehand and were accused by the police of spreading false and illegal rumors and threatened with legal charges. He contracted the virus and has passed away [11]
- A cruise ship off the coast of Japan has been quarantined with confirmed cases of the virus, and there are those questioning if such tight isolations in passenger cabins are effective [12]. Boat passenger screenings and bans are susceptible to increase [13] [14]
- There are those who are criticizing the dependency on past outbreak standards, including quarantines, instead of looking at what the 2019 Novel Coronavirus is doing now using historical precedent as evidence [15] [16]
- From a U.S. perspective, there those who say to worry about the flu more than the 2019 Novel Coronavirus [17]
- The endangered pangolin is suspected to have acted as an intermediary of transferring the virus between bats and humans due to genetic similarities, according to the New York Post [18]
Notes to Keep in Mind: Although the pandemic is still ongoing, we must remember to remain respectful to our fellow humans. People of Asian descent in the US are not automatic confirmations of having the disease, and so remember to not let racism or xenophobia control any actions or attitudes. Another way of respect is cleanliness, hygiene, and self-containing measures if one feels unwell—all have an impact on how the virus spreads. You’ve heard to wash your hands after using the toilet, before eating, and to cover coughs and sneezes. They may be little things, but they can help keep yourself and the others around you healthy.
For a live and visual friendly overview of the numbers, Source [8], “Coronavirus 2019-nCoV Global Cases by Johns Hopkins CSSE,” shows a map of where cases are occurring and how many in each country.
As the circumstances change, so must we. Education, information, and to strive to be conscientious stand as our first line of defense against this 2019 Novel Coronavirus.
Sources:
[1] – “2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Situation Summary – Background”. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/summary.html#background
[2] – “Surveillance case definitions for human infection with novel coronavirus (nCoV)”. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/330376
[3] – “About 2019-nCov: Symptoms & Complications”. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/symptoms.html
[4] – “About 2019-nCov: Prevention & Treatment”. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention-treatment.html
[5] – “About 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV)”. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/index.html
[6] – “2019-nCoV: What the Public Should Do”. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/what-you-should-do.html
[7] – “A pneumonia outbreak associated with a new coronavirus of probable bat origin”. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2012-7
[8] – “Coronavirus 2019-nCoV Global Cases by Johns Hopkins CSSE”    https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594…
[9] – “China will defeat coronavirus, Xi tells Trump, as doctor’s death sparks outcry”. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-idUSKBN20003J
[10] – “Coronavirus death toll surges to 638”. https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2020/02/06/Coronavirus-death-tol…
[11] – “Chinese coronavirus whistle-blower dies of coronavirus”. https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2020/02/06/Chinese-coronavirus-whistle-b…
[12] – “Coronavirus Outbreak On Quarantined Japan Cruise Ship Spreads. 61 Passengers Now Affected” https://www.forbes.com/sites/victoriaforster/2020/02/07/coronavirus-outb…
[13] – “Cruise Ship Travelers Returning To NJ Will Be Screened For Coronavirus Sources”. https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/cruise-ship-travelers-returning-to…
[14] – “Lessons From Leprosy For Coronavirus: Quarantine And Isolation Can Backfire”. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/royal-caribbean-cruise-passen…
[15] – “Why treating the coronavirus like the Black Death is so dangerous”. https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/02/06/why-treating-coronavir…
[16] – “Lessons From Leprosy For Coronavirus: Quarantine And Isolation Can Backfire”. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/02/07/803533167/lessons-f…
[17] – “Opinion: Worry about the flu more than coronavirus”. https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2020/02/05/flu-higher-risk-than-co…
[18] – “Endangered delicacy pangolin may have sparked coronavirus outbreak, China researchers say”. https://nypost.com/2020/02/07/endangered-delicacy-pangolin-may-have-spar…