FAQ: Wuhan Coronavirus

What is a Coronavirus?

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are known to cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

What is the meaning of word ‘corona’ in it?

The name is derived from the Latin corona, meaning crown or halo, and refers to the characteristic appearance under microscope with a fringe of large, bulbous surface projections creating an image similar of a royal crown or of the solar corona.

What is a novel Coronavirus?

A novel Coronavirus (CoV) is a new strain of Coronavirus that has not been previously identified in humans.

How many strains are currently known that infect human?

Currently there are seven known strains of Coronaviruses that infect humans. The latest being the 2019–20 China pneumonia outbreak in Wuhan, which is labeled as 2019-nCoV by WHO.

What is Wuhan Coronavirus?

On 31 December 2019, WHO was informed of a cluster of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China, that why it is termed as novel Coronavirus.

What are the other names of Wuhan Coronavirus?

The other names include Chinese pneumonia outbreak or the Wuhan pneumonia or Wuhan flu.

What are the possible sources of Wuhan Coronavirus?

It has come from animals – possibly seafood. Many of those infected either worked or frequently shopped in the Huanan seafood wholesale market in the centre of the Chinese city. New and troubling viruses usually originate in animal hosts. Ebola and flu are example.

Can humans become infected with a novel Coronavirus having animal source?

Yes, SARS-CoV was transmitted from civet cats to humans in China in 2002 and MERS-CoV from dromedary camels to humans in Saudi Arabia in 2012.

Can Coronaviruses be transmitted from person to person?

Yes, some Coronaviruses can be transmitted from person to person, usually after close contact with an infected patient. In case of Wuhan Coronavirus, there is evidence of human-to-human transmission.

What are the symptoms caused by the Wuhan Coronavirus?

The virus causes pneumonia. Those who have fallen ill are reported to suffer coughs, fever and breathing difficulties. Recovery will depend on the strength of their immune system. Those who have died are known to have been already in poor health.

Is there any vaccine for it?

When a disease is new, there is no vaccine until one is developed. It can take a number of years for a new vaccine to be developed.

As this is viral pneumonia, antibiotics are of no use. Antiviral drugs being studied for use in Mers are also being used on patients in trials by Chinese doctors.

What is a PCR test? Is it applicable to Wuhan virus?

A  It is termed as Polymerase chain reaction. The basis for PCR diagnostic applications in microbiology is the detection of infectious agents and the discrimination of non-pathogenic from pathogenic strains by virtue of specific genes.

A specific diagnostic PCR test detect the presence of 2019-nCoV was subsequently confirmed in 41 people in the original Wuhan cluster.

Is Wuhan Coronavirus is confined to the China only?

No, the virus has also been confirmed outside China, in the US, Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan. There is definitely a global potential for cases to emerge due to the volume of international air travel.

What are the WHO recommendations for countries in case of novel Coronavirus?

WHO encourages all countries to enhance their surveillance for severe acute respiratory infections (SARI), to carefully review any unusual patterns of SARI or pneumonia cases and to notify WHO of any suspected or confirmed case of infection with novel Coronavirus.

Countries are encouraged to continue strengthening their preparedness for health emergencies in line with the International Health Regulations (2005).

What is a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)?

It is a formal declaration by the World Health Organization (WHO) of “an extraordinary event which is determined to constitute a public health risk to other States through the international spread of disease and to potentially require a coordinated international response”.

It is very likely that the World Health Organization will declare the outbreak (Wuhan case) to be a public health emergency of international concern when it meets this week.