Coronavirus
What is a coronavirus? Here is your complete visual guide
Here is a comprehensive guide to coronaviruses and 2019-nCoV, the deadly Wuhan killer strain that has plunged China into a public health crisis and spread across the world.
Adeadly new strain of coronavirus has killed over a hundred people in China, and infected thousands more across the world. Indian authorities are working to pre-empt the spread of the infectant, known as the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). No positive cases have been reported here so far.
The World Health Organisation says the new coronavirus epidemic is a high global risk but hasn't declared it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, or PHEIC.
The national helpline for information and assistance related to the coronavirus threat is 011-23978046.
This guide contains everything you need to know about coronaviruses, and the 2019-nCoV in particular. It will be updated daily as and when new information becomes available.
Let's begin.
What are coronaviruses?
Notice the spike proteins on the surface of the avian infectious bronchitis virus virion on the left. They create an effect resembling the solar corona (see photo of total eclipse on the right) and give the family Coronaviridae its name. (Credits: CDC/Fred Murphy; Sylvia Whitfield (left) and NASA/Aubrey Gemignani. Montage by ITGD Design Team/Vikas Vashisht)
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- Coronaviruses get their name because of their protein spikes
- They're transmitted between animals, humans; 7 kinds infect people
The Wuhan coronavirus, or 2019-nCoV, is part of a family of viruses named for the effect created by spike proteins on their shells, or capsids. Think of how the outer layer of the sun's atmosphere, known as the corona (Latin for crown), appears during a total solar eclipse.
"Any vaccine for the Wuhan coronavirus would focus on the antigenic viral spike proteins which look like a halo or crown...of bulbous spikes for which the coronavirus is named. This protein binds to the ACE2 receptor in our lung cells like a forged key to break in."
Seven kinds of coronavirus can infect people, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They include 2019-nCoV, and the viruses that cause Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV), both of which have killed hundreds (see microscope images below).
SARS virions, left, and a single MERS-CoV virion. (Credits: CDC/Charles D Humphrey and TG Ksiazek (left), and US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Montage by ITGD Design Team/Vikas Vashisht)
Coronaviruses are initially transmitted from animals to humans. China says 2019-nCoV can be transmitted between people.
What are the symptoms of coronavirus infections?
Background image: Getty Images. Infographic by ITGD Design Team/Vikas Vashisht.
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- Common symptoms of a coronavirus infection include fever, cough
- 2019-nCoV were detected after mysterious pneumonia cases were reported in China
The symptoms of a coronavirus infection depend on the type of infectant, but "common signs include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties," the World Health Organisation (WHO) says.
Severe infections can cause conditions like pneumonia and can even be deadly, the UN body adds. In fact, 2019-nCoV was detected after Chinese health authorities reported mysterious pneumonia cases in Hubei, a central province (more on that later).
The WHO has published an exhaustive list of clinical syndromes linked with nCoV infections.
India has asked citizens who feel sick while travelling in China -- or within a month of returning from China -- to promptly seek medical help and follow standard guidelines, available here. The government has also advised citizens against non-essential travel to China.
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- 2019-nCoV appears to have lower fatality rate than SARS virus
- But it seems to be spreading faster, said to be infectious during incubation period
The World Health Organisation's global risk assessment for 2019-nCoV is "high". It is "very high" for China, the source of the outbreak. But the UN body hasn't declared a "Public Health Emergency of International Concern" -- or PHEIC -- like the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo last year.
Over 100 people have died so far, all of them in China. More than 2,800 others have been infected in multiple continents -- a number that rose sharply in a very short timespan. (See Reuters graphic below.)
Little is known about 2019-nCoV. China has confirmed human-to-human transmission, and said the virus is infectious during its 1-14 day incubation period -- in other words, before the first symptoms appear.
For now, 2019-nCoV appears to have a lower fatality rate than the SARS virus, but it is certainly appears to be spreading quicker.
Scientists have identified 2019-nCoV's genetic code, enabling scientists to work on vaccines. There's currently no vaccine or specific treatment for infections.
Where did the current outbreak begin?
A Google satellite map showing the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan, China (Hubei province), to which the outbreak of 2019-nCoV has been linked.
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- The 2019-nCoV outbreak has been linked to a Wuhan market
- Wildlife was being sold illegally there; China later banned wildlife trade nationwide
The outbreak of 2019-nCoV has been linked to the Huanan Seafood Market in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where wildlife was being sold illegally (although this theory has now been questioned). Remember, coronaviruses are initially transmitted between animals and humans.
Reports by TIME and the Wall Street Journal say the market sold all kinds of wildlife, from ostriches to porcupines.
"It was no secret to anyone in Wuhan that Huanan Seafood Market sold a lot more than its name suggested. While one side of the low-slung warren of stalls did primarily stock fish and shellfish, the other offered a cornucopia of spices, sundries and, if you knew where to look, beavers, porcupines and snakes."
On January 26, China announced a national wildlife trade ban in markets, supermarkets, restaurants, and e-commerce platforms.
What precautions should you take?
Photo: Reuters. Infographic by ITGD Design Team/Vikas Vashisht
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- WHO recommendation include good hand and respiratory hygiene
- India has advised citizens to avoid non-essential travel to China
The WHO's standard recommendations for protection from a variety of illnesses apply to the coronavirus outbreak. Check out the infographic above for a brief overview.
India has advised its citizens against non-essential travel to China.
Indians who feel sick while in China, or within a month of returning from China have been asked promptly seek medical help and follow standard guidelines.
For more information and links to resources, read our full article on coronavirus precautions.
What is India doing to monitor the threat?
A central team at a special isolation ward set up in Hyderabad to treat suspected coronavirus cases. (Photo: PTI)
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- Positive cases have been confirmed in subcontinent but not in India
- Govt holding review meets; plane on standby to rescue citizens in Wuhan
India is monitoring individuals who may have been exposed to 2019-nCoV and has an Air India plane on standby to evacute its nationals from Wuhan.
Positive cases have been confirmed in neighbouring Nepal and Sri Lanka, but there are none so far in India.
The Prime Minister's Office and the Union Ministry of Health have held meetings to review India's preparedness to deal with any outbreak.
The health ministry has published a travel advisory and several guidlines for healthcare practitioners on its Disease Alerts page. (Follow the health ministry on Twitter at @MoHFW_INDIA.)
The national helpline for information and assistance related to the coronavirus threat is 011-23978046.
| Coronavirus kills 106 in China, infects thousands
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