CORONAVIRUS: THE VIRUS THAT IS SCARING THE WORLD!

The topic these days that we hear about continuously is that of the virus from China, called CORONAVIRUS.
The epicenter of this infection is the city of Wuhan.
A study found that some species of snakes are potentially the source of this virus.
Genetic analysis have in fact ascertained that the virus would pass from bats to snakes that feed on it. And it is precisely in China that large consumption of meat of these two animal species is expected.
The first cases of contagion of this virus occurred mainly among workers in the city market where the sale of live animals could also be found.
The first report of the “coronavirus” took place on December 31, 2019 but already on December 8, patients with this infection appeared.
The first confirmed death dates back to January 9, 2020.
Globally the coronavirus touches 565 deaths in the world while the infections amount to 28,149 cases and the people recovered are 1,147.

The first two cases in Italy;

The coronavirus also arrived in Italy; the Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced it during a press conference on Thursday 30 January 2020.
These are precisely two Chinese tourists, husband and wife from the Wuhan province, the protagonist of the epidemic.
Arriving in Rome after a tour of some Italian cities, the two felt bad on the night of Thursday 23 January 2020, given the symptoms, they were hospitalized and isolated at the Spallanzani hospital in the capital. President Conte decided to suspend flights to and from China and proclaimed the emergency for 6 months.
The room occupied by husband and wife has been sealed for disinfection by the ASL, adds the director of the Hotel Palatino in via Cavour, where the two spouses were staying.
Today the clinical conditions of the two tourists are still serious, they continue to be hospitalized in the intensive care unit.

What are the symptoms of this virus?

The symptoms of this virus are similar to the symptoms predicted by a simple flu such as:

• Temperature;
• Dry cough;
• Tiredness;
• Difficulty breathing.

In severe cases, it develops into pneumonia, acute renal failure up to death. To date, there is still no cure, healing is spontaneous and the only treatments are aimed at managing the symptoms.

How is it transmitted?

The modalities of transmission are not yet fully understood, but a public health official in Washington State, in the United States, observed that this virus is mainly transmitted if there is direct contact with the infected individual, in particular through coughing or sneeze and through respiratory droplets emitted by the infected individual.
Still not sure!

Preventive measures

In order to prevent this infection, the main world health instructions recommend good personal hygiene. WHO (WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION) recommends:
“Wash your hands regularly and cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing; stay as little as possible in contact with people who have these symptoms of respiratory diseases.
It is also recommended to avoid trips to mainland China.
Although there are generally no specific treatments for human coronaviruses, the U.S. Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) have advised that symptoms be alleviated by regularly taking flu medications, drinking fluids, and resting. It is recommended during the outbreak to report flu-like symptoms to your doctor, especially if there have been visits to mainland China in the last period.