Wuhan Coronavirus 2019!

In late December 2019, an outbreak occurred in Wuhan, China. The Corona Virus (2019-nCoV) (COVID-19) gets its name from the crown-like shape of it. The coronavirus has strains of the pathogen that causes the common cold, it causes issues with the respiratory system. Early symptoms include Fever, cough, diarrhea, gastro-intestinal symptoms, difficulty with breathing and short breath. Severe cases include Pneumonia, kidney failure, severe acute respiratory syndrome, and death. Symptoms appear 2 days or 14 days after being exposed to the Coronavirus. It can travel from person to person. It has been here before. In the early 2000s between November 2002 to July 2003, the SARS, Severe acute respiratory syndrome. SARS was a type of Coronavirus. It has killed more than 750 people throughout 17 countries and has infected more than 8,098 people starting in Hong Kong, China. This recent Coronavirus is from the same family but it has done more damage than the SARS.

How did it start?

(COVID-19) or (2019-nCoV)

The Coronavirus certainly came from Wuhan, China but no one is still exactly sure how the Coronavirus started but that doesn’t stop people from coming up with ideas. One idea suggests it started in Wuhan, China at a seafood market. The market is known for selling Donkey, Camel, wolf cub, peacock, and many different animals. Those who fell ill either worked there or visited the market. Certain tests have shown that the deadly Coronavirus is linked to the Wuhan seafood market. The virus is known to be found in birds and mammals, which leads scientists to believe that bats may have helped with the spread of the Coronavirus. Scientists think the snake is a host to the Coronavirus because it eats bats and we eat snakes. Snakes that ate bats were found in the Wuhan market

What happens to the body?

The lungs are mainly affected by the Coronavirus. If it is too severe the whole body can get infected. At first, it is obvious, the Coronavirus enters our body. A virus has a protein key sticking out of the envelope. The protein key has the virus' genetic material. The virus finds the right cell and then uses that cell to make copies of itself. Your whole body turns into a virus making machine. The Coronavirus invades two main cells. Mucus and Celia cells. The Coronavirus likely prefers a Celia cell as its host. Celia cells don't allow viruses to enter the lung. Mucus keeps lungs from drying out and protects it from pathogens. When these cells die they turn into a fluid inside the lungs which can cause the symptoms sneezing, coughing and breathing difficulties. A lot of the victims have pneumonia in both lungs. The immune system then kicks in and fights the virus in the contaminated places. If the immune system overreacts it can kill a lot of the healthy cells and that makes it worst. By now, the person will either suffer permanent lung damage or death. The virus causes the Alveoli (a sac found in the lungs that exchange the carbon dioxide in the blood with the fresh oxygen inhaled by you) in the lungs to be filled with fluid leading to death.

Types of the Coronavirus:

For the novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), recent reports from China show there are two types of Corona strains. Type L (~70%) which is similar to the Corona outbreak in Wuhan is more aggressive and spreads quickly. On the other hand, we have a Type S(~30%), which is 'evolutionarily older and less aggressive'.

What is the Cure?

The minute people heard about the Coronavirus they asked about the cure. Sadly, there is no cure for the Coronavirus, the best way to protect yourself is to prevent yourself from being exposed to it. Antibiotics cannot kill a virus. There are antiviral medications to kill a virus but overall, a virus is difficult to kill because the virus invades a cell. To kill the virus one must first locate the cell and find a way to kill the virus without harming anything else. There are no vaccines available to kill the virus but the symptoms can be cured. Doctors are now treating the symptoms of the people who have had unfortunately caught the Coronavirus.

How do doctors treat the Coronavirus?

No, there is still no cure but that hasn't stopped doctors from treating it. Doctors try to regulate temperature, blood pressure, and oxygen levels until the body can get rid of it and deals with it. No matter what the doctor does it always stands up to the person's immune system. The best thing a doctor can do is help the person's immune system fight the Coronavirus.

Who Should be worried?

If those under the age of 50 have the Coronavirus, it is serious but not very deadly if taken care of properly. Between the ages of 50 to 60, again, it is not very deadly but it should be taken seriously. However, for those above the age of 70, the Coronavirus can be very very dangerous. Don't panic, if you show any of the symptoms, contact a doctor or go to the hospital.

How do we protect ourselves from it?

Avoid unprotected contact with animals, make sure to eat cooked meat and eggs, and avoid people with flu-like symptoms. Make sure your Hand sanitizer should have 60% of alcohol in it otherwise it will not affect the micro-organism. 60% of alcohol neutralizes microorganisms. When using the hand sanitizer cover your whole hand and wait for it to dry. However, try to make sure to wash your hands with soap and water as it is better than the hand sanitizer. Hand Sanitizer kills germs and leaves it but a soap removes it as well as dust and grease. Hand sanitizer cannot kill a lot of microorganisms but soap removes all of it. Hand sanitizers can weaken the immune system and dry out your skin. Try not to touch your mouth, nose, and eyes without washing them. When sneezing or coughing try to cover it with a tissue, then dispose of the tissue. Clean every surface that is touched frequently. Wash your hands as much as possible especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, after eating, and after sneezing or coughing.

You can get lab tests of your nose, throat, and blood to tell you if you have the Coronavirus. Wearing a mask can prevent you from microorganisms in some way. For one, it can stop you from touching your mouth with your hands because your attention is focused on not touching your face since you have the mask on. It won't allow droplets of someone else's sneeze or cough to get to your mouth. However, finding a mask to fit your face perfectly is hard. Because there is such a high demand for masks, it has become very expensive since such companies will make a lot of profit when people are desperate. Touching your face behind the mask will make you lose protection from the mask. The mask is only useful when you have are sick and you don't want others to get what you have. However, if you are sick it is just keeping the microorganisms to your self.

How does the world's economy respond to the Coronavirus?

Around 45 million people from Wuhan, China have been cut off from the outside world. The travel industry has been badly infected. A lot of planes and airlines refuse to travel to China due to the Coronavirus. Because a lot of offices and factories remain closed, a lot of the world's businesses are going down since a huge portion of the world's supply comes from China.

Words of Hope:

Stay safe and wash your hands regularly. Even though we have microorganisms that can do much worst than the Coronavirus, this is something new. We still aren't sure about a lot of things, the best thing to do it protect yourself. Whatever started it or where ever it ends, I send my regards to the families that have lost a part of them to the Wuhan Coronavirus. We have all been deeply affected by it. Doesn't matter if you are in China or not, the Coronavirus spread fast and it is found in different parts of the world.

Don’t blame anyone for this. We all have our religion; we all have our own beliefs. At the end of the day, we are all human.