The Novel Coronavirus: A Summary
This year undeniably had a rough start. From the Australian fires, we’ve come to the next world epidemic: The Novel Coronavirus. With a death toll of more than 1000 people and counting, this is the best time to learn more about the virus.
What is Novel Coronavirus ?
Recently named COVID-19, the novel coronavirus is a member of the coronavirus family. These viruses spread to humans from animals. The coronavirus family includes SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) which shows close genetic relations to the new coronavirus. COVID-19 outbreak was first identified around an animal market in Wuhan, China. In a span of a few months, the virus has managed to infect more than 46,000 people in and outside of China.
How it Spreads:
COVID-19 is still a mystery in some aspects. But, being a respiratory syndrome, it has been identified that this spreads from human to human. An infected persons’ coughing and sneezing can release the virus into the air and a person breathing in this air will get infected. Touching the mouth, nose or eyes after getting into contact with a virus contaminated surface too can cause the spread of the virus.
Moreover, you could get the virus easily if you have a weak immune system. According to recent reports, very few children seem to have actually gotten the virus. A study published on 30th of January in the medical journal ‘The Lancet’ found that the average age of patients was 55 years. Therefore it is important that you have a strong immune system as well. (Jr., 2020)
The State of COVID-19 Worldwide
In the span of a few months, the virus has spread in about 25 countries. As of 13th February 2020, the WHO reports the following numbers.
Confirmed cases – 46,997
Confirmed cases in China – 46,550
Number of deaths in China – 1368
Number of deaths outside China – 1
Prevention is Better Than Cure
The COVID-19 is highly contagious and so, calls for better precautions. So, what should you do to protect yourself ?
- Wash your hands with soap/alcohol-based hand rub frequently.
- It is highly advisable to wear a mask, especially when in public places.
- Maintain a safe distance (at least a meter) from persons that are suffering from fever, coughing or sneezing.
- Avoid eating raw/undercooked meat at all costs and avoid getting into contact with wild/stray animals, especially around wet markets.
- If you have fever, cough or breathing difficulties, visit a hospital as soon as possible
If you wear a mask, what is the proper way to do it ?
- If you are not sick, the white side of the mask should be facing outwards as the white side has the filter
- If you are sick, wear the blue/green side outwards
- Don’t touch the mask while it is on
- Masks are not effective if you don’t regularly clean your hands
- Use masks only once
- Discard into a closed bin after use
How to strengthen your immune system ?
- Make sure that your diet is full of fruits and vegetables
- Exercise and maintain a healthy weight
- Drink in moderation
- Keep stress levels down
- Get enough sleep
Is Malaysia Safe to Visit ?
The Public Health and Well-being conference 2020 is happening this June in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. And, your safety is our concern as well. So, is Malaysia safe?
There have been about 18 reported cases in Malaysia. However, it should be noted that only about 3 of these cases are Malaysians. And as mentioned above, only one person outside of China has died of COVID-19.
Moreover, Malaysia is a country with excellent health systems. In fact, the country ranks 18th in the Global Health Security (GHS) Index which is an index that measures the health security capabilities of countries worldwide.(GHS Index, 2020) As reported by the MalayMail on 5th of February 2020, the WHO has appreciated the methods followed by the Malaysian government in handling the COVID-19 outbreak. The government, combined with many other authorities and organizations follow a very transparent, open way of handling the outbreak. You can find the state of the virus in Malaysia by accessing the MOH website of Malaysia anytime. (Malaymail.com, 2020)
The readily accessible information on the virus proves the confidence of the Malaysian government on the face of the COVID-19. Considering all these, we believe that it is, in fact, safe to visit Malaysia.
A Cure On the Way
Scientists are racing to find a cure for the COVID-19. Currently, many pharma companies are researching to find a cure while WHO and other voluntary groups are supporting the progress financially. It is possible that a cure could be found by the end of the year at the earliest, as the research is still in its early stages.
But COVID-19 is being managed for now with about 4,470 people recorded to be fully recovered. Hopefully, the COVID-19 might die down on its own as its predecessor SARS did.
Meanwhile, make sure to build up your immune system because after all, you getting the virus and/or recovering from the virus all depends on the strength of your immunity.
References
- Who.int. (2020). Coronavirus disease 2019. [online] Available at: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200213-sitrep-24-covid-19.pdf?sfvrsn=9a7406a4_4 [Accessed 14 Feb. 2020].
- Who.int. (2020). Coronavirus. [online] Available at: https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus [Accessed 14 Feb. 2020].
- GHS Index. (2020). The Global Health Security Index. [online] Available at: https://www.ghsindex.org/ [Accessed 16 Feb. 2020].
- Jr., B. (2020). The coronavirus appears to be sparing one group of people: Kids. [online] CNBC. Available at: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/11/the-coronavirus-appears-to-be-sparing-one-group-of-people-kids.html [Accessed 16 Feb. 2020].
- Bioworld.com. (2020). WHO drawing research roadmap to combat coronavirus, newly named COVID-19. [online] Available at: https://www.bioworld.com/articles/433006-who-drawing-research-roadmap-to-combat-coronavirus-newly-named-covid-19 [Accessed 16 Feb. 2020].
- Malaymail.com. (2020). Can Malaysia handle the coronavirus? The five times when we dealt with health emergencies | Malay Mail. [online] Available at: https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/02/08/can-malaysia-handle-the-corona-virus/1835667 [Accessed 16 Feb. 2020].
- Malaymail.com. (2020). Malaysia doing ‘very, very well’ in handling Wuhan virus contagion, says WHO rep (VIDEO) | Malay Mail. [online] Available at: https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/02/05/malaysia-doing-very-very-well-in-handling-wuhan-virus-contagion-says-who-re/1834808 [Accessed 16 Feb. 2020].
- Who.int. (2020). World experts and funders set priorities for COVID-19 research. [online] Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/12-02-2020-world-experts-and-funders-set-priorities-for-covid-19-research [Accessed 16 Feb. 2020].
