The Race to Stop a Virus

by Anna Danso-Amoako

International media has been largely focused on the implications of the recent Coronavirus virus with fears rising as new cases of infections are being reported further away from its origin in Wuhan, China. The magnitude of the infected has long since breached the regions of China with new cases being reported increasingly further away. At the time of writing the virus has not yet reached the UK, however, this is likely to change bringing serious implications for the general public. So, in this article I hope to summarise the string of events that have brought us to this point and to explore the overall impact this might have on society as a whole.

Before I begin, I feel it is important to say, it’s ok to be scared. We’re certainly on the edge of something we’re not fully prepared for but with all the public awareness and global efforts to combat the spread of infection, all hope is certainly not lost.

Coronaviruses, firstly are more common than imagined. They refer to a group of viruses rather than a singular virus and within this group exists the common cold. Much like the cold, the other viruses in this group all have the potential to cause respiratory damage to differing degrees. For some animals the symptoms may vary such as in cows and pigs. For humans, the strain, if serious can pose a significant risk to human life. Within the last 20 years two different outbreaks of Coronavirus resulted in a combined total of roughly 1600 reported deaths. In 2002, from southern regions of China, the first outbreak was recorded by a virus known as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or SARS. It can be argued to be the most infectious of the two outbreaks as it resulted in an identifiable 8437 cases in 30 different countries. The second of the two outbreaks was caused by a virus known as the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). It originated firstly in Saudi Arabia in 2012 with had a reported number of 2494 cases. For both viruses there are no successful cures which is particularly concerning as the current outbreak known as the 2019 novel coronavirus, or 2019-nCoV is closely associated with both.

The common links between the viruses are strengthened by their transmission method. It is thought that the virus was previously only transmitted amongst animals however it has now been transmitted to humans. Diseases of this nature are referred to as Zoonotic diseases and they are far from kind when passed on to people. A few notable diseases include : Swine Flu, Ebola and Rabies. For 2019-nCoV, its origin was at a seafood market in Wuhan, China. This market was shut on New Year’s Day after the Chinese authorities reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) after a number of pneumonia cases in the city were confirmed.

The symptoms reported included coughs, fever and breathing difficulties with the virus itself causing pneumonia and in 2019 there were there were no reported fatalities from the virus, however the severity quickly increased. Within the first week of 2020, Chinese officials reported a known 44 cases of pneumonia due to the virus. The World Health Organization (WHO) later confirmed on the 5th of January that 11 of these patients were in a severe condition. Four days later, the first confirmed death from the Wuhan Virus was reported in China. While the patient had underlying health problems there was an indisputable link to the virus. The patient was a 61 year old man who had previously purchased produce from the market and sadly although medical treatment was provided he later died from heart failure.

It should be noted the symptoms encourage infection with coughing and sneezing.In a highly densely populated area such as China, avoiding infection is near impossible without public awareness. The Wuhan region alone has a population of 11.08 million people. With the upcoming Lunar New Year celebrations, infections would be uncontrollable.

By the 20th of January, the effects were unimaginable. Confirmation of nCoV in three other countries had emerged: Japan, Thailand and South Korea. 200 more cases of the virus were reported in China and the knowledge of human to human transmission of the virus was confirmed to be true by Chinese authorities. With the transmission of the virus outside the countries, airports screening for the disease began in multiple countries, being led by the United States. This was made possible by the release of the genetic sequence of the virus by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), public to every other country. With the death toll now at three,  President Xi Jinping released a statement expressing the need for containment of the virus.

Only six days later, international actions to prevent the spread of nCoV were elevated. The virus breached the surrounding countries and cases were officially reported in both the United States and Australia despite screening established in the USA. Beijing, the capital of China cancelled all Lunar Celebrations in the hope of slowing the infection rate through a degree of isolation. This is also being aided by the planned construction of a temporary hospital in the Wuhan region to help treat those affected without putting other patients at risk.

A vaccine is being developed by scientists at the National Institute of Health in America however this vaccine is in very early developmental stages so it may be some time until an established vaccine is available for usage. WHO have remained consistent on their stance to not call a health emergency for the virus however as events unfold their stance may change.

Currently, the virus has reached Europe with cases reported in France. Despite this being close to home, the tests of potential patients with the virus have come back negative within the UK.

So how worried should we be?

This is a difficult question to answer in short as there is a balanced case on both sides. Luckily as of writing the number of cases confirmed in the UK are zero and with airplane screening already in place this should remain the case for at least a short period of time. However this could easily not be the case as it is now the general consensus that it takes five days for signs of the virus to be detected. This means infection before this time is all too possible and it may only be a matter of time before an influx of cases are reported. SARS for example, was easier in this regard to manage as the symptoms were evident shortly after infection.

The symptoms to look out for, as reported by the BBC, are a fever and dry cough which then progresses to the shortness of breathing which may result in hospitalisation however if you have limited connection to the Wuhan region as of late there is less cause for concern. The British government is considering evacuation attempts of British citizens from China so hopefully all overseas citizens will remain safe.

I end by saying keep an eye on the news, the spread of a disease is an issue that affects us all and with the rapid rate of infection since my first coverage of the disease, this may be an event that defines more than our year.