USA TODAY International Edition
Deadly virus spreads, but experts say flu is bigger threat
A deadly outbreak of coronavirus that began in Wahun, China, has killed six people in China, sickened hundreds of people there and spread to other countries. A handful of cases have been diagnosed in Thailand, South Korea and Japan. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the first case in the U. S. on Tuesday.
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illness from the common cold to more severe diseases such as pneumonia to Middle East respiratory syndrome, known as MERS, and severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS. Common signs of infection include fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and death.
How is coronavirus similar to ebola, MERS and SARS?
Coronaviruses, ebola and severe acute respiratory syndrome ( SARS) are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people. Ebola was carried by fruit bats, which spread it to other animals. SARS was transmitted from civet cats to humans and MERS from camels to humans.
Should Americans be afraid of coronavirus?
“With global travel, the spread of any infectious disease is literally a plane ride away,” says Robert Glatter, an emergency physician at New York’s Lenox Hill Hospital.
On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Customs and Border Protection began enhanced health screenings to detect travelers sickened by coronavirus coming into the United States from Wuhan.
The screenings are taking place at airports in San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles. The CDC said it is monitoring coronavirus and the risk for spreading into the U. S.
People with a history of chronic lung disease may be at higher risk for “adverse outcomes,” he said.
Glatter, however, said perspective is important.
“It’s more likely that you would encounter the flu compared to the coronavirus,” Glatter said. “It’s the flu and measles which pose a greater threat to the global community at this time.”
Is coronavirus contagious? How is transmitted?
The virus can be spread from animals to people. But it also can be spread by coughing, sneezing and through close contact with an infected person or an object carrying the virus.
Is there a vaccine? What does treatment look like?
There is no vaccine yet. Nine studies are examining coronavirus vaccine development.
And while there is no particular treatment for the coronavirus, recommended measures are similar to those for cold, such as rest and drinking a lot of fluid.