11 Questions about the New Coronavirus
Nearly 6,000 people affected and more than 130 deaths worldwide: the new coronavirus discovered in China last December raises fears of a worldwide epidemic. He worries all the more that we know little about him; but the health authorities are still able to answer certain questions. Overview of the most frequently asked questions.
Summary
Where does coronavirus come from?
How is it transmitted?
What are the symptoms ?
What to do in case of suspected infection?
How to protect yourself?
Is there a risk of transmission with packages from China?
What are the treatments ?
Can we die from it?
What measures have been taken at national level?
Is there a risk of an epidemic in France?
Isn’t it risky to repatriate the French from Wuhan?
Since the confirmation of four cases of coronavirus, there have been many concerns and questions. But do we really have to panic?
Where does coronavirus come from?
Called 2019-nCoV, it was first discovered in China in the city of Wuhan, capital of Hubei province. The Chinese authorities identified a common point with the first infected people: all of them worked or had frequently visited the Huanan Seafood Market , a fish and seafood market where live animals were also sold. According to Public Health France, this would indicate that the source of contamination is of animal origin.
Chinese health authorities are actively working to identify the animal responsible for transmission to humans. In comparison, it was found that the other types of coronaviruses responsible for the outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in 2002-2003 and 2012 came from the bat ( animal reservoir), which had itself transmitted them to the masked palm civet (small mammal consumed in China) and to the dromedary (intermediate hosts).
How is it transmitted?
Human-to-human transmission was quickly confirmed, that is, the coronavirus is transmissible from one person to another. It is transmitted by the respiratory tract, and in particular by the postillions (sneezing, cough), explains the Ministry of Health. “ It is therefore considered that close contact is necessary to transmit the disease. There is close contact for a person who has shared the same living space as the sick person when the latter presented symptoms (family, same hospital or boarding school room) or who had direct contact, face to face , within 1 meter of the sick person at the time of a cough, sneeze or during a discussion in the absence of effective protective measures ”, he specifies.
What are the symptoms ?
The 2019-nCoV infection is all the more worrying as its symptoms are not very specific and may therefore resemble those of the flu. The diagnosis is based on a blood sample.
What to do in case of suspected infection?
In case of suspicious symptoms, the health authorities recommend that people contact the Samu (15) and avoid “ going directly to a doctor or to an emergency reception service ”, in order to “ avoid any potential contamination “. ” Patients potentially infected with 2019-nCoV must be treated in one of the 36 establishments identified on French territory for the treatment of possible and confirmed cases of MERS-CoV infections “, specifies the Ministry of health. It should be noted that these recommendations primarily concern people who have stayed in China recently.
How to protect yourself?
For people traveling to areas affected by the virus (especially Asian countries such as China, Hong Kong, Thailand or even Taiwan), the Ministry of Health recommends:
“ Avoid contact with animals, living or dead;
avoid going to markets where live or dead animals are sold;
avoid close contact with people suffering from acute respiratory infection;
not to eat uncooked or undercooked meat;
wash your hands regularly with soapy water or alcohol-based solutions ”.
In France, no preventive measure at the individual level has been recommended. Protective masks in pharmacies have been taken over, so they are out of stock. But if the wearing of the surgical mask “ is recommended for symptomatic sick people to avoid spreading the disease by air ”, it is not for the non sick population, its effectiveness has not been demonstrated.
People who have been in contact with known cases are identified and followed up by health authorities.
Is there a risk of transmission with packages from China?
The idea of possible contamination via packages or products from China has gained ground on social networks. However, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “ there is currently no evidence to support the idea of transmission of 2019-nCoV via imported products and no cases of infection associated with imported products has been reported ”. They point out that because in general coronaviruses do not survive on non-living surfaces, the risks of contamination via products or packages are ” very low “.
What are the treatments ?
To date, there is no specific treatment for infection with this new coronavirus; patients therefore benefit from simple symptomatic treatment. The Ministry of Health specifies however that “ several treatments, currently used in other viral pathologies, are being evaluated, in France and in connection with the WHO [World Health Organization, Editor’s note], to be used against 2019-nCoV ”.
Can we die from it?
Of the 5,974 confirmed cases worldwide, 132 deaths have been recorded. The virus can therefore be fatal, but this risk seems especially to concern fragile populations, such as the elderly or individuals with co-morbidities. ” We have very little information, but the victims surely had a medical history. Coronavirus symptoms are often mild, but in people at risk it can be life-threatening . ”