Just like the start of the likes of HIV/AIDS, Ebola and all other sorts of deadly virus, a new SARS-like[severe acute respiratory syndrome] virus has reared its ugly head and is posing a big threat, it has being tagged the coronavirus or MERSvirus.MERS meaning [Middle East respiratory syndrome].
Many would say,' oh thank God ' it is middle east, but the disease has enough potential of spreading faster than any other that the WHO (World Health Organization) termed it deadlyand made it their greatest concern right now. If that doesn't bother you, then perhaps I don't know what will..
The so-called novel
coronavirus "is not a problem that any single affected country can keep
to itself or manage all by itself," Margaret Chan said Monday in her
closing remarks at the 66th World Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.
The world needs to pull
together its resources to properly tackle the virus which, Chan said, is
her "greatest concern" at present.
"We understand too little
about this virus when viewed against the magnitude of its potential
threat," she said, and more information is needed "quickly" and
"urgently."
"We do not know where the
virus hides in nature. We do not know how people are getting infected.
Until we answer these questions, we are empty-handed when it comes to
prevention. These are alarm bells. And we must respond," she said.
Now,things to know about this virus;
It's part of a family
called coronaviruses, which cause illnesses ranging from the common cold
to SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, as well as a variety of
animal diseases. However, the new virus is not SARS.
The virus acts like a
cold and attacks the respiratory system, the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention has said. But symptoms, which include fever and a cough,
are severe and can lead to pneumonia and kidney failure.
Gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea have also been seen,
according to the WHO.
MERS-CoV has been
detected in humans in eight countries, the WHO said last week -- Saudi
Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, France, Germany,
Tunisia and the United Kingdom.
"All of the European cases have had a direct or indirect connection to the Middle East," the WHO said in the
May 17 statement. "However, in France and the United Kingdom, there has
been limited local transmission among close contacts who had not been
to the Middle East but had been in contact with a traveler recently
returned from the Middle East."
A large number of patients have another condition, the WHO said,
suggesting "increased susceptibility from underlying medical conditions
may play a role in transmission." In addition, the infection has shown
up "atypically" and without respiratory symptoms in people whose immune
systems are compromised.
If you've traveled to
the countries above and have cold-like symptoms which are getting worse,
and you're having increasing difficulty breathing and a fever, you may
want to see a doctor. It's important to tell your physician where you
have been, so you can be tested for regular flu and other illnesses that
can cause these symptoms as well as MERS-CoV.
The WHO describes the
common symptoms as acute, serious respiratory illness with fever, cough,
shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. According to Hartl, the
real worry is that patients will develop pneumonia -- most, although
not all, of the cases have. Many have also had gastrointestinal problems
including diarrhea.
The original source of
the infection is still a mystery, so health officials cannot tell you
what to avoid to prevent getting this coronavirus.
Researchers haven't
identified any animal that may be carrying the virus. Early on in the
SARS outbreak, an animal called the civet cat was implicated -- maybe
unfairly, because bats were later implicated too.
It's not known how the
virus spreads between humans, be it droplets in the air from coughing or
sneezing or touching contaminated surfaces, but WHO isn't ruling out
contact with surfaces as a possible mechanism of transmission.
What to do?;
While there's no cure
for MERS-CoV, there are things you can do to protect your loved ones --
the same measures you would take to prevent spreading the flu or other
viruses.
If you've recently
returned from Middle East and aren't feeling well, stay home and avoid
contact with babies and people who may already be sick. Cover your mouth
when you cough or sneeze (tissue, sleeve or elbow, not your hands) and
wash your hands frequently.
There currently is no vaccine or treatment for MERS-CoV.
A lot has been learned
about new coronaviruses over the past 10 years by studying the SARS
virus because the National Institutes of Health have continued to
support research on it, Denison says, adding that he's hopeful that
knowledge could be "potentially applied towards vaccines," if MERS-CoV
develops into a pandemic.
God help us all.
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