What happened?
Since December 2019, 444 cases of viral pneumonia have been reported in China,
Coronavirus has also been found in people whoflew from China to Thailand, Japan and South Korea. In addition, US authorities discovered the first person to become infected with a new coronavirus in their country - a resident of Washington, who recently flew in from China. At the same time, there is no exact data on the spread of the disease in other countries.
On the evening of January 22, it became known that twopeople were hospitalized at the Botkin Hospital in St. Petersburg with suspected new coronavirus from China. According to the Baza publication, both hospitalized arrived in Pulkovo from China, one of them lives there permanently. He himself came to the airport’s first-aid post and stated that he had a high fever; the doctors immediately decided to urgently hospitalize him in the S.P.Botkin Infectious Disease Hospital. At the same time, a preliminary diagnosis was made at the airport - SARS, however, representatives of the Botkin Hospital believe that the young man may become the first carrier of a new type of coronavirus in Russia.
Now in Wuhan, 170 people are inhospital, almost 40 of them are in serious condition. As it turned out, the virus is transmitted from person to person, so among the diseased - 14 employees of medical facilities. Initially, it was exclusively about animals as carriers of the disease.
Chinese authorities predict sharp risethe number of cases of viral pneumonia from the new virus due to the New Year holidays, which will begin on January 25, 2020. Traditionally, at this time, a huge number of Chinese people travel around the country, return to their hometowns and travel to other states.
Due to possible threat of infection 2019-nCoV stockmany European companies, especially those related to travel or business in China, have fallen sharply. Among the victims - almost all airlines, including Air France, Lufthansa and IAG, which owns the carrier British Airways.
So, and who is the causative agent?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Chinese specialists at the beginning of the study of the disease completely excluded the influenza virus and adenovirus from the possible causes.
Coronavirusis a family that includes 39 species of viruses in two subfamilies as of January 2020.They affect humans, cats, birds, dogs, cattle, pigs, and hares.In almost all cases, animals are transmitted to humans, as is most likely the case with 2019-nCoV.The new outbreak of the virus has been linked to the seafood market in Wuhan, where almost all of the first patients were either sellers or regular buyers.Now this market is closed and quarantined.
As a rule, coronaviruses can provoke damage to the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract and nervous system. Moreover, it is believed that coronaviruses are responsible for 15% of all colds,
Coronaviruses cause not only colds, but alsodiseases with severe complications. The most famous respiratory syndrome is called SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), an outbreak of which has occurred since 2003 in China. Mortality from this virus then amounted to about 10% of all cases. In total, about 8.5 thousand people fell ill with SARS around the world, of which 950 died.
This type of virus also leads toMiddle East respiratory syndrome, mortality from which is 35% - an unprecedented case for modern medicine. A sufficiently strong outbreak of this disease was last recorded in South Korea in 2015 - then 183 people fell ill, of which 33 died. Another 3 thousand people were quarantined.
So far, the death rate from 2019-nCoV does not exceed several percent (six people died), however, scientists believe that in the future these statistics may change.
2019-nCoV is part of the coronavirus group that affects the airways and lungs. That is why viral pneumonia occurs, which can lead to death.
Is this pneumonia treated?
Only symptoms are treated, it is connected with thisa rather high mortality rate from some coronaviruses. While there is no special treatment that would be aimed specifically at this type of virus.
American scientists from the National Instituteallergies and infectious diseases have begun developing a vaccine against the new species of coronavirus 2019-nCoV. However, the first vaccine testing will begin at best in a month, and one cannot speak of a full-fledged entry into the market even by the end of 2020.
Will there be an epidemic?
It is not yet clear, but most likely not. WHO plans to convene an emergency committee meeting on 22 January 2020, followed by a precautionary announcement. After the meeting, we will update this text.
At the same time, the Russian Ministry of Health has already named thiscoronavirus "biological hazard to Russia." The Rospotrebnadzor said that it is impossible to completely exclude the import of a new coronavirus into Russia, but an epidemic is extremely unlikely. Despite this, the department has developed a diagnostic test system that allows you to quickly identify a new coronavirus.
In addition, Rospotrebnadzor in the Far East will now begin to carry out additional checks, especially for passengers who have just arrived from China.