What is the coronavirus?

What is the coronavirus?

1. What is the Chinese coronavirus?

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that primarily cause respiratory infections. "Coronaviruses can cause mild infections such as colds, but also other more graves, such as pneumonia," Juan Pablo Horcajada, Chief of the Infectious Diseases Service of the Hospital del Mar de Barcelona and a member of the Spanish Infectious Diseases Society, tells EL PERIÓDICO and Microbiology ...

More than 360 people have died from the Chinese coronavirus: a virus whose symptoms are similar to those of pneumonia and whose outbreak was detected in Wuhan (in central China) last month. The coronavirus has also reached miles of infected people and has already reached more than 20 countries,

"The name of the new Chinese coronavirus is 2019-nCoV: it has a different genome than other coronavirus, it is new within the family and was not known." The Chinese coronavirus has a 3% mortality rate

1. How is the virus spread?

Although it was thought that it was spread from animals to humans (the outbreak was seen in an animal market in the Chinese city of Wuhan), we now know that it can be spread from person to person, by coughing or sneezing. It has been known that it is also spread during the incubation phase, while the person has not yet developed symptoms.

1. What are the symptoms?

Five are the main symptoms of a Chinese coronavirus infection:
• Fever
• Cough (sometimes with respiratory secretions)
• Difficulty breathing
• Headache
• Generalized fatigue

1. What prevention measures must be taken?

"The measures that citizens must take are hand hygiene, coughing when coughing or sneezing, avoiding contact with people who have flu symptoms and avoiding trips to the Wuhan area," explains Horcajada, who adds that "there is no vaccine no antiviral treatment "for the coronavirus.

Only their symptoms are treated, with paracetamol or ibuprofen and hydration in mild cases. In severe cases, hemodynamic and / or respiratory support is performed.

Chronology of the coronavirus: thus began and spread the virus that puts the world on alert

How did the coronavirus start? How has it spread throughout the world?

Since the first case was reported in 2019 to the World Health Organization (WHO) in Wuhan, China, the virus has spread to 20 locations outside of this country and there are already more than 9,600 cases in the world.
December 8, 2019
The first patient develops symptoms of Wuhan coronavirus
December 31, 2019
The first cases of the virus are reported to WHO

January 1, 2020
The Wuhan wildlife market where the outbreak is believed to have originated is closed to disinfect it
January 7th
Chinese scientists identify the pathogen involved as a new coronavirus strain

January 9th
The first death linked to the coronavirus is reported. It was in China
12th of January
China shares the coronavirus genetic sequence for developed countries diagnostic kits
January 19
Cases are reported in Beijing and Shenzhen, China
January 20
223 cases of coronavirus are confirmed in four countries including China
January 21st
The first case of coronavirus in the United States was confirmed.
January 23
Travel restrictions are imposed on the neighboring cities of Wuhan, impacting millions of people.
January 24
The first cases of coronavirus in Europe are reported
January 27th
More than 100 people have died in China from the coronavirus
January 28
A plane from the US Department of State He evacuated diplomats and their families from Wuhan.
There are 5,400 cases of coronavirus in China and more than 80 outside the country.
January 29
There are more than 7,000 cases worldwide, the majority remain in China. At least 170 people have died from the virus.
January 30th
Coronavirus cases increase to more than 9,600 as well as the number of deaths recorded in 170. There are more than 100 cases in 20 locations outside of China.
The World Health Organization declares the coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern.