GLOBAL HEALTH 4
A novel coronavirus (CoV) is a new strain of coronavirus that has not been previously identified in humans. The new, or "novel" coronavirus, now called ___________, had not previously detected before the outbreak was reported in _______________ in December 20
- 2019-nCoV - Wuhan, China
Coronavirus (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as _______________ and _________.
- Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) - Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV)
Can humans become infected with the 2019-nCoV from an animal source? The animal source of the 2019-nCoV has not yet been identified. This does not mean you can catch 2019-nCoV from any animal or from your pet. It's likely that an animal source from ____________ in China was responsible for some of the first reported human infections. To protect yourself, when visiting live animal markets, avoid ________________________.
- a live animal market - direct unprotected contact with live animals and surfaces in contact with animals
Several known coronaviruses are circulating in _________ that have not yet infected __________.
- animals - humans
Can humans become infected with the 2019-nCoV from an animal source? detailed investigations found that SARS-CoV was transmitted from _________ to humans in China in 2002 and MERS-CoV from _____________ to humans in Saudi Arabia in 2012.
- civet cats - dromedary camels
Signs and Symptoms: for confirmed 2019-nCoV infections, reported illnesses have ranged from people with mild symptoms to people being severely ill and dying. Symptoms can include:
- fever - cough - shortness of breath
Signs and Symptoms: CDC believes at this time that symptoms of 2019-nCoV may appear ________________. This is based on what has been seen previously as the incubation period of ________ viruses.
- in as few as 2 days or as long as 14 after exposure - MERS
Can humans become infected with the 2019-nCoV from an animal source? The consumption of _______________ should be avoided. ________, ______ or ________should be handled with care, to avoid cross-contamination with uncooked foods, as per good food safety practices.
- raw or undercooked animal products - raw meat - milk - animal organs
Prevention: the following measures ARE NOT specifically recommended as 2019-nCoV remedies as they are not effective to protect yourself and can be even harmful:
- taking vitamin C - smoking - drinking tradition herbal teas - wearing multiple masks to maximize protection - taking self-medication such as antibiotics
Coronaviruses are ___________, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people
- zoonotic
states with confirmed 2019-nCoV cases:
1. Arizona 2. California 3. Illinois 4. Massachusetts 5. Washington 6. Wisconsin
Prevention: How to put on, use, take of and dispose of a mask when needed:
1. before putting on a mask, wash hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water 2. cover mouth and nose with mask and make sure there are no gaps between your face and the mask 3. avoid touching the mask while using it; if you do, clean your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water 4. replace the mask with a new one as soon as it is damp and do not re-use single-use masks 5. to remove the mask: remove it from behind (do not touch the front of mask); discard immediately in a closed bin; wash hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water
Locations with confirmed 2019-nCoV cases:
1. china 2. hong kong 3. macau 4. taiwan 5. australia 6. belgium 7. cambodia 8. canada 9. finland 10. france 11. germany 12. india 13. italy 14. japan 15. malaysia 16. nepal 17. philippines 18. russia 19. sri lanka 20. singapore 21. spain 22. sweden 23. thailand 24. the republic of korea 25. united arab emirates 26. united states 27. vietnam
How dangerous is coronavirus?
As with other respiratory illnesses, infection with 2019- nCoV can cause mild symptoms including a runny nose, sore throat, cough, and fever. It can be more severe for some persons and can lead to pneumonia or breathing difficulties. More rarely, the disease can be fatal. Older people, and people with pre-existing medical conditions (such as, diabetes and heart disease) appear to be more vulnerable to becoming severely ill with the virus
Prevalence:
CDC is closely monitoring an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a novel (new) coronavirus (named "2019-nCoV") that was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China and which continues to expand. Chinese health officials have reported tens of thousands of infections with 2019-nCoV in China, with the virus reportedly spreading from person-to-person in parts of that country. Infections with 2019-nCoV, most of them associated with travel from Wuhan, also are being reported in a growing number of international locations, including the United States. Some person-to-person spread of this virus outside China has been detected. The United States reported the first confirmed instance of person-to-person spread with this virus on January 30, 2020
on February 11, 2020 the World Health Organization announced an official name for the disease that is causing the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak, ________.
COVID-19
Is the new virus (coronavirus) the same as SARS?
No, 2019-nCoV is from the same family of viruses as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV) but it is not the same virus
Who can catch the virus?
People living or travelling in an area where the 2019-nCoV virus is circulating may be at risk of infection. At present, 2019-nCoV is circulating in China where the vast majority of people infected have been reported. Those infected from other countries are among people who have recently traveled from China or who have been living or working closely with those travellers, such as family members, co-workers or medical professionals caring for a patient before they knew the patient was infected with 2019-nCoV Health workers caring for persons who are sick with 2019- nCoV are at higher risk and must protect themselves with appropriate infection prevention and control procedures
Is it safe to receive a package from China or any other place where the virus has been identified?
Yes, it is safe. People receiving packages are not at risk of contracting the new coronavirus. From experience with other coronaviruses, we know that these types of viruses don't survive long on objects, such as letters or packages.
Prevention:
if you want to protect yourself from getting infected with the new coronavirus, you should maintain basic hand and respiratory hygiene, and safe food practices and avoiding close contact, when possible, with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing 1. wash your hands frequently: Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand rub if your hands are not visibly dirty - why? washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub eliminates the virus if it is on your hands 2. practice respiratory hygiene: When coughing and sneezing, cover mouth and nose with flexed elbow or tissue - discard tissue immediately into a closed bin and clean your hands with alcohol- based hand rub or soap and water - why? covering your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing prevent the spread of germs and viruses. If you sneeze or cough into your hands, you may contaminate objects or people that you touch 3. maintain social distancing: Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and other people, particularly those who are coughing, sneezing and have a fever - why? when someone who is infected with a respiratory disease, like 2019-nCoV, coughs or sneezes they project small droplets containing the virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the virus. 4. avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth - why? hands touch many surfaces which can be contaminated with the virus. if you touch your eyes, nose or mouth with your contaminated hands, you can transfer the virus from the surface to yourself 5. as a general precaution, practice general hygiene measures when visiting live animal markets, wet markets or animal product markets 6. ensure regular hand washing with soap and potable water after touching animals and animal products; avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth with hands; and avoid contact with sick animals or spoiled animal products. Strictly avoid any contact with other animals in the market (e.g., stray cats and dogs, rodents, birds, bats). avoid contact with potentially contaminated animal waste or fluids on the soil or structures of shops and market facilities 7. avoid consumption of raw or undercooked animal products: Handle raw meat, milk or animal organs with care, to avoid cross- contamination with uncooked foods, as per good food safety practices
How long does the virus survive on surfaces?
it is still not known how long the 2019-nCoV virus survives on surfaces, although preliminary information suggests the virus may survive a few hours or more
Can you catch 2019-nCoV from your pet?
no, at present there is no evidence that companion animals or pets such as cats and dogs have been infected or have spread 2019-nCoV
What's the difference between illness caused by 2019-nCoV, the flu or a cold?
people with 2019-nCoV infection, the flu, or a cold typically develop respiratory symptoms such as fever, cough and runny nose. even though many symptoms are alike, they are caused by different viruses. because of their similarities, it can be difficult to identify the disease based on symptoms alone. that's why laboratory tests are required to confirm if someone has 2019-nCoV WHO recommends that people who have cough, fever and difficulty breathing should seek medical care early. patients should inform health care providers if they have travelled in the 14 days before they developed symptoms, or if they have been in close contact with someone with who has been sick with respiratory symptoms.
How long does the virus survive on surfaces? ____________ can kill the virus making it no longer possible to infect people.
simple disinfectants
Can humans become infected with the 2019-nCoV from an animal source? several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans. as _____________ improves around the world, more coronaviruses are likely to be identified
surveillance
How long is the incubation period?
the incubation period is the time between infection and the onset of clinical symptoms of disease. current estimates of the incubation period range from 1-12.5 days with median estimates of 5-6 days. these estimates will be refined as more data become available. based on information from other coronavirus diseases, such as MERS and SARS, the incubation period of 2019-nCoV could be up to 14 days. WHO recommends that the follow-up of contacts of confirmed cases is 14 days.
Transmission of coronavirus:
the new coronavirus is a respiratory virus which spreads primarily through contact with an infected person through respiratory droplets generated when a person, for example, coughs or sneezes, or through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose.
Treatment:
to date, there is no specific medicine recommended to prevent or treat the novel coronavirus. however, those infected with 2019-nCoV should receive appropriate care to relieve and treat symptoms, and those with severe illness should receive optimized supportive care. some specific treatments are under investigation and will be tested through clinical trials. WHO is helping to coordinate efforts to develop medicines to treat nCoV with a range of partners antibiotics do not work against viruses, they only work on bacterial infections. the novel coronavirus is a virus and, therefore, antibiotics should not be used as a means of prevention or treatment
Can 2019-nCoV be caught from a person who presents no symptoms?
understanding the time when infected patients may spread the virus to others is critical for control efforts. detailed medical information from people infected is needed to determine the infectious period of 2019-nCoV. according to recent reports, it may be possible that people infected with 2019-nCoV may be infectious before showing significant symptoms. however, based on currently available data, the people who have symptoms are causing the majority of virus spread.
Prevention: Should you wear a mask to protect yourself?
wearing a medical mask can help limit the spread of some respiratory disease. however, using a mask alone is not guaranteed to stop infections and should be combined with other prevention measures including hand and respiratory hygiene and avoiding close contact - at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and other people WHO advises on rational use of medical masks thus avoiding unnecessary wastage of precious resources and potential misuse of masks (see advice on the use of masks-Attached PDF). this means using masks only if you have respiratory symptoms (coughing or sneezing), have suspected 2019-nCoV infection with mild symptoms or are caring for someone with suspected 2019-nCoV infection. a suspected 2019-nCoV infection is linked to travel in an area in china where 2019-nCoV has been reported, or close contact with someone who has traveled from china and has respiratory symptoms.
