Coronaviruses are a family of viruses existing around the world for several decades. In fact, many people will be carriers of a coronavirus in their lifetime, without even being aware of it. The less dangerous version of this virus is hardly recognizable in many people, the symptoms are similar to those of the common flu and therefore are not easily recognizable.
However, at the beginning of this year 2020 a new strain of the coronavirus appeared in the city of Wuhan in China. Since then, thousands of people have been infected with this dangerous and unknown virus that little by little is spreading worldwide and that has already cost the lives of more than 2.600 people around the world. Although the most important number of affected and deceased are in China.
China coronavirus
The Wuhan coronavirus was first detected in December in the Chinese city of Wuhan. It is a new strain of this family of viruses that until then was unknown. The symptoms of this coronavirus are similar to those of pneumonia, fever, fatigue, dry cough, and in many cases shortness of breath. These symptoms are very dangerous in certain patients, such as the elderly, those patients who have previous pathologies (such as diabetes or heart disease) or people who have a weakened immune system.
As the number of infected patients grew, the alarms about the form of contagion of this virus were increasing. Since, at first it was believed that the coronavirus was transmitted through animals, but the large number of affected and the speed at which the virus spreads, has shown that can be transmitted between people, even to the fetus in the case of pregnant women.
FAQs
Although the World Health Organization transmits reassuring messages, every day new information about this coronavirus is received. It is logical that the world population is concerned about all the cases of infected and deceased that occur every day. And, although outside the borders of China the cases are minor, the truth is that the virus can spread globally and the risks of a new pandemic are real.
The WHO on its official website presents updated information on new data on this disease, and among the most frequently asked questions, it offers these answers.
Can pets transmit 2019-nCoV?
No pet has been infected to this day, so no, neither dogs nor cats can transmit this virus.
Who can get infected?
Anyone who lives or who travels to any of the areas where it is present the coronavirus, you are exposed to contagion. People who have tested positive outside of China are patients who have recently returned from China or who have been in contact with people who have been in that area. Health professionals are those most at risk of contracting the disease, since they are exposed to the virus.
Can I receive packages from China safely?
It seems that this type of virus does not survive for long on objects such as letters or packages, so there is no risk of infection in this regard.
How does the virus spread?
The coronavirus is a respiratory virus and as such, is transmitted through droplets produced by coughing or sneezing.
These and other questions can be consulted on the page official website of the World Health Organization.
Caution and preventive measures
They are many the experts who are investigating to try to stop this virusHowever, every day new and alarming news arrive about new infections in other countries. In fact, during these last days of February, we are learning about new cases of infected and deceased in European countries such as Italy or Spain. Although it is important to remain calm, it is essential to take extreme the precautions to avoid the contagion and expansion of this coronavirus.
As in these cases, they are many rumors that run around this new virus. To avoid falling into unreliable and dangerous claims, do not hesitate to consult these recommendations offered by the World Health Organization on its official website.