Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV)
-Rahman Mahfuz
This time Corona is a global panic. This virus is seen in China. By this time, about 2800 peoples have been affected in China, and 80 peoples have died. It has also spread in some neighboring countries.
At the end of December 2019, a different type of Pneumonia virus was observed in Wuhan city, Hubei Province of China, which did not match the other known virus. Because of this, the World Health Organization (WHO) was alerted on 31 December 2019. This raised concern among the health experts because when a virus is new, it can’t be known how it affects people and how it should be handled.
A week later, on 7 January 2020, Chinese authorities confirmed that they had identified the new virus, which is Coronavirus and temporarily named “2019-nCoV”.
The coronavirus is a family that includes the common cold and viruses such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV).
To learn more about the virus, how it affects people, how it spreads, from which sources it comes, how it can be handled and how the affected persons should be treated – WHO is working with Chinese authorities and global experts.
Though it is a coronavirus, it usually causes respiratory illness, WHO has advised the world’s peoples on how to protect themselves. WHO’s standard recommendations for the general public are given below, which include hand and respiratory hygiene and safe food handling:
1. Wash and clean hands frequently by using water, soap, or alcohol-based hand rub, especially while visiting the affected people.
2. Cover mouth and nose by elbow or tissue when coughing and sneezing – then throw the used tissues in a safe distance and wash hands every time.
3. Avoid close contact with the persons who have a fever and cough.
4. Seek early medical care if you have a fever, cough, and difficulty in breathing.
5. Avoid visiting those areas that have already been affected by the Coronavirus. Avoid direct contact with the animals without protection while visiting.
6. Avoid the consumption of raw or uncooked or undercooked animal products such as meat, fish, milk, and even egg.
7. Avoid cross-contamination with cooked and uncooked foods, as per good food safety practices, especially store in the fridges.
File photo: Pictures uploaded to social media on January 25, 2020, by the Central Hospital of Wuhan show medical staff attending to patients, in Wuhan, China Reuters.
WHO’s standard recommendations published on its website are given below:
