In scenes eerily reminiscent of the movie Contagion, or earlier outbreaks of SARS and MERS, pictures have emerged from China showing numerous panicked citizens clamoring at hospitals for treatment and walking around the city with masks.
The epicentre of this new outbreak, currently known as 2019-nCoV, is Wuhan, a centrally located city with a burgeoning population of close to 11 million people. Normally a bustling town, fully of noise and activity, the streets bear a deserted look, with a quarantine of sorts imposed by the government.
So what exactly is going on?
In late December 2019, Chinese officials reported a strange sort of pneumonia that had afflicted several people, possibly resembling SARS. This was the first official report of the Wuhan virus.
As time passed, more and more people fell ill and Chinese officials announced that the virus was something they had not encountered before. Today, close to 2000 people are affected (both in China and out, with official numbers varying) and 56 people have been killed till date, with the numbers expected to rise.
With numerous reports from different sources, here are some key points to help you keep track of the Wuhan virus.
- Where did it come from? The 2019-nCoV is a coronavirus, meaning that it is has its origins from an animal (Think SARS and MERS). Chinese officials have traced the origins of the current outbreak to a wet market in Wuhan, known for the sale of some particularly exotic species of animals, like koalas. Most evidence points to bats, which are eaten in some dishes such as soups, that may have been carriers of the disease. Coronaviruses can sometimes jump from animals to humans, and when that happens, outbreaks such as the current spread will be seen.
- How deadly is the virus? – Currently, experts report that the virus is less deadly than SARS or MERS. While we are hearing more about it, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It means that there is more awareness and more awareness means more efforts to contain the spread.
According to most reports, the virus manifests with respiratory illness symptoms, resembling pneumonia, with a cough, lung infection and so on. In individuals who are more susceptible to illnesses, such as elderly or immunocompromised patients, the risk is higher. Almost all (if not all) the patients who have succumbed to the illness fell in one of these two categories. - How is China trying to control the spread of the virus? – China has imposed huge travel restrictions on several cities, essentially placing them on lockdown to limit the movement of the virus. Additionally, one of the main fears was the timing of the virus’ emergence, during the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations. This marks the world’s largest migration of humans, as people travel across the globe to visit family and friends. China has asked organizers to tone down the celebrations and to limit public gatherings in an attempt to reduce the risk. In Wuhan, where medical staff are overwhelmed by the number of sick patients, the government is targeting to build a new hospital specifically for flu patients in six days. They have also asked companies manufacturing masks to not celebrate the Chinese New Year and help meet the increased demands.
- Have other countries been affected and how effective are China’s quarantine measures? – Yes, other countries have been impacted, namely the United States (3 confirmed cases), South Korea (several cases), Canada (1 presumptive positive), Singapore, and France (3). In all these cases, there were passengers who had travelled to Wuhan and contracted the illness. This is important because it means that the virus has not jumped from one person to another (limiting the transfer).
There is some disagreement regarding the efficacy of China’s actions. While the UN expressed confidence about China’s measures, citizens are not as pleased. Many feel the measures are coming in too late. As per some reports, information about the outbreak was available in the middle of December, but the travel bans were only recently imposed, allowing weeks of time for diseased passengers to travel. Additionally, the memory of the SARS outbreak is fresh in everyone’s mind. During that outbreak, China downplayed the extent of the outbreak. This has cast doubts regarding the true extent of the spread and the severity of the illness.
China has closed down the wet market and has placed a ban on the sale and trade of animals for some time in an attempt to curtail the virus. But a question that is coming up is this; this is not the first time that a possible pandemic has arisen from the consumption of exotic animals, what measures will be put in place to prevent future problems? Many countries are now screening passengers and contacting those who have travelled to or from Wuhan - What are the other facts we should know about the illness? – The youngest affected person is a 2 year old toddler.
There is a chance that the virus can spread from person to person as it is a respiratory illness, hence the chance of it being spread through an aerosol mode (sneezing, coughing etc)
A doctor treating patients has caught the illness, which indicates the seriousness of the situation.
While the WHO has declared a state of emergency in China, it is yet to declare a global emergency.
There are conspiracy theorists who have postulated that the virus may have been accidentally released from China’s biological research centre, located at Wuhan. As per reports in 2017, there were biosafety level 4 labs located in the city, dealing with several different viruses. However, they claims are without evidence. - How worried should I be? For the most part, the virus is essentially like the flu. If you wouldn’t normally be scared about the flu, for now you shouldn’t panic. Maintain good hygiene, wear a mask if you are at risk of catching the illness and report any signs of disease to a healthcare provider. Do not travel to Wuhan righ now unless it is absolutely necessary.
We have learnt from our mistakes and are already cordoning off cities. Unfortunately several countries want to break the quarantine to bring home their citizens who are stuck in Wuhan (including India, who wants to bring home close to 250 citizens). While the intention is good, these moves present a possibility of letting a carrier into another country and worsening the spread. Health officials worldwide are trying to devise plans to prevent this. Currently no official treatment is available for the virus, but people have been cured.
(Image used is from https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/01/25/how-to-tell-whats-really-happening-with-the-wuhan-virus/ – the image was taken from getty images)
Everyday Indian 