Corona virus

Some maybe wondering why I post about the Coronavirus in a blog devoted primarily to traveling.  Because viruses travel along with humans.  The reason they named the novel virus Corona virus is because under electron microscopy it looks like the crown royals wear.  Corona viruses and Rhinoviruses are the etiologic factors of common cold.  Most of the colds in the winter are due to Corona viruses while those in early fall, spring and summer are due to Rhinoviruses.   The novel Corona virus was recently renamed to Covid-19 belongs in the family of viruses that humans and other mammals harbor in our bodies. 

Covid-19 emerged in Hubei province in central China in late December 2019 and subsequently spread in 59 countries around the world.  As of March 6, 2020 at 12:15 UCT/GMT the World Health Organization (WHO) reported 100,242 infections and 3,408 deaths.  China the epicenter of the epidemic has reported 80,559 infections and 3,042 deaths.  South Korea has reported 6,593 cases and 42 deaths while Iran is next with 4,747 cases and 124 deaths and Italy follows with 3,858 cases and 148 deaths. The overall death rate is 3.4% but this is not an accurate estimate as it does not take into account the mild or asymptomatic cases that are not recorded.

Interestingly according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) there have been 30-40 million million flu cases, and between 15-40,000 deaths in the 2019-2020 flu season in the USA alone, a disease that can be prevented but individuals decide not to get vaccinated to their and other people peril.  

The most common symptoms of Covid-19 infection are fever, headache and coughing as the virus tend to affect the lungs.  

Although it is impossible to avoid completely exposure in an epidemic there are several precautionary measures that people should take such as covering their nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing.

The simplest and most effective measure in the dissemination of the virus is washing hands with soap and water if we believe we’ve touched surfaces contaminated by nasal excretions. 

Wearing masks is a sensible way to prevent exposing others and maybe avoid viral exposure to ourselves.  Other reasonable precautions are avoiding contact with live animals that are known to harbor the virus such as bats, and finally avoiding eating uncooked meat. 

As in every epidemic people should exercise reasonable precautions while in the same time excessive measures should be avoided.  We should remember that similar epidemics have taken place in the past.  The MERS viral epidemic had a mortality rate of 10% while the SARS had a mortality rate of 5%.  The Corona virus mortality is estimated to be between 1-2%.  (Doctor Schnabel of Rome, is coper engraving by Paulus Fürst of a plague doctor in 1656)

Needless to say, that the mortality rate of the above-mentioned epidemics was negligible when is compared with the Plague or Black Death which is estimated to have killed 25 million individuals that represented one third of Europe’s population. The plague may have reduced the world population from an estimated 475 million to 350–375 million in the 14th century. (Image Saint Sebastian interceding to God for the Plague stricken. By Josse Lieferinxe exhibited at The Walter’s Art Gallery, Baltimore, Maryland, USA)