All About Coronavirus (CoV)

What is Coronavirus (CoV) ? 

Coronavirus are a type of RNA  (ribonucleic acid) viruses. These can be transmitted between animal and humans, that’s why they are called ‘Zoonotic’. Coronavirus got its name because the virus shows ‘corona’ (Crown) of spike proteins around its lipid envelope. 

Coronoavirus is short form is written as CoV. CoV family of viruses can cause many illnesses ranging from common cold to more serious diseases like MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory Syndrome) and SARS CoV (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome).

Origin and Transmission of Coronavirus (CoV)

Coronavirus can be transferred from animals to humans, that’s why it is called zoonotic. Do you know that SARS CoV was transmitted from civet cats to humans in China (2002) while MERS CoV was transmitted from dromedary camels to humans in Saudi Arabia (2012).

The animal source of 2019-nCoV is still unidentified. ‘n’ here means ‘new’ or ‘novel’ coronavirus. Its outbreak was reported in Wuhan (China) in December2019 . But that does not mean that you are in danger from your pet or any other animal. Till now there has been no reports that a pet dog or a cat has been infected or have spread the virus. But don’t forget that it is contagious, which means that it can spread from an infected person to another person. So avoiding close contact with the infected person is recommended.

In Wuhan the virus spread from a live animal market.  Though bats are the basic carriers of the virus but scientists are still in doubt because bats lack the mechanism through which the virus could be attached to human cell-receptors. But it is astonishing that almost 96% of the genetic strain of the viruses which are spreading in humans is similar to that of the bats. Scientists believe that there is a missing link between bats and humans. Many culprits are being investigated like endangered pangolin.

But finding such culprits take time. For example, bat was the culprit in case of Ebola virus that spread in Africa, but the research that started in 1976 yielded its results in 2005.

There are many coronavirus being circulating in animals but they have yet not infected humans.  As more and more advancement in the research happens, more strains (types) of viruses will be identified.

Symptoms and Effect of Coronavirus

• General Symptoms

• Respiratory Symptoms
• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of Breath
• Breathing Difficulties

• In severe cases:

• Pneumonia
• Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
• Kidney Failure
• Death

Old people with other medical conditions like diabetes, heart disease are more vulnerable to it.

There is a lot of similarity between common cold, flu and 2019-nCoV (Coronavirus). Despite being similar symptoms, the virus causing them is different. That’s why WHO has recommended laboratory tests for people who are showing symptoms of common cold or flu or are having difficulty in breathing or all these symptoms. Specially if the person was in proximity with or had a close contact with the Coronavirus infected person or have travelled to China in the past 14-20 days before the symptoms have developed, then the laboratory tests are recommended.

But some precautions are recommended by WHO, which are:

Remedies and Precautions – Dos and Don’ts for Coronavirus

Antibiotics do not work against viruses. So taking an antibiotic is useless.

Till date (Feb 2020) there is no medicine which can prevent or treat nCoV (Novel Coronavirus). Though WHO  is coordinating efforts to develop medicines and there has been many clinical trials ongoing over the globe.   

But some precautions are recommended by WHO, which are:

1. Avoid consumption of uncooked or raw animal products.
2. Carefully handle raw animal products and avoid cross-contamination.
3. Be aware of the news and update yourself with latest information regarding the outbreak, keep checking WHO Website regularly, so that you can get first hand on any research or information which can save you from getting infected.
4. Maintain the distance of atleast 1 metre or 3 feet between yourself and anyother person who is sneezing, coughing or having fever.
5. Wash your hands regularly as hands touch many surfaces during the day and can get contaminated by viruses.
6. In case you have cough, fever or difficulty in breathing, then, seek professional medical help.
7. Do not self medicate, consult a doctor.
8. In case you have travelled to China or have undertaken any international travel before the symptoms has developed, then it could be serious.
9. Do not take things lightly, if you are experiencing any symptoms and have not yet got tested, then firstly isolate yourself from other people and get the test for Coronavirus done as soon as possible. 

The following remedies though popular, but cannot help to protect you from Coronavirus:

• Smoking
• Herbal Cigarettes
• Wearing masks or wearing multiple layers of masks
• Anti-biotics
• Green-tea
• Herbal or traditional teas. 

Dr. Li Wenliang the man Who Warned about Coronavirus, but he was Censored.

Li Wenliang was an ophthalmologist at Wuhan Central Hospital. Remember, Wuhan is the ‘Ground Zero’ of 2019-nCoV. He got the disease while working in that hospital. He noticed seven similar cases at the hospital which were showing SARS like symptoms. Remember that SARS was a global epidemic in 2003. When he raised the voice and informed the fellow doctors about the disease on 30 Dec 2020, the Chinese police censored him and he was called by Public Security Bureau where he was blamed of "making false comments" and thereby leading to "severely disturbed the social order". There were total eight such people who were charge for spreading false information.

Finally the 34-year-old Dr. Li Wenliang, shared his story from his hospital bed on Weibo. Weibo is a Chinese micro-blogging site.

According to Dr. Li, by 10^th January 2020 he started coughing and the very next day he had fever. And then he was admitted to the hospital. By 30^th January 2020, he was diagnosed with Coronavirus.

Even his death was condradictory. When the doctor died of the infection, the Chinese government intervened and misreported it keeping in view the public anger for mishandling the crisis and silencing the whistle-blower. Chinese government sensored the content and hashtags on Weibo that directly had the name of the doctor. The truth was buried as rumor.