What You Should Know About The New Coronavirus (2019-NcoV) In Nigeria
The Federal Government of Nigeria through the Ministry of Health and other relevant agencies, has alerted the public over the outbreak of a new virus from China called Coronavirus or 2019-nCoV. Here is everything you need to know about the new coronavirus in Nigeria to keep yourself and family members safe.
2020 began with the news of a new type of coronavirus making rounds on the Nigerian cyberspace. Social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Whatsapp and so on were on fire with the news. Ever since, local and international news websites has consistently talked about it.
While many have given in to fear and are already scared of leaving their homes, here are the facts about the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) you should know. The signs, symptoms, treatment and preventive measures are fully explained in this article.
Facts About The Deadly Coronavirus (2019-Ncov)
2019-nCoV is a new type of coronavirus identified first in Wuhan City, China. According to the report published by the Health Commission of Hubei Province where the virus was first discovered, about 41 persons infected with the virus have died.
Reports from BBC, New York Times and several other reliable sources, confirm that about 1,300 persons have already been infected with it in China. Cases of the infection has also been confirmed in other countries like the United States of America, France, Australia, Japan and about 6 other Asian countries.
Now while 2019-nCoV is a new kind of virus, it belonged to a large family of viruses that has been in existent for long. That is, coronaviruses.
Coronaviruses cause respiratory disease. For example Common Cold, Pneumonia etc. According to the American Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the symptoms of the infection can go from mild to severe.
These viruses are usually carried by animals such as bats, cats and camel. They rarely jump from these animals to human or get transmitted from one human to another. However, the same cannot be said of the new corona virus. It is easily transmitted from individual to another through various means.
Where Did The New Coronavirus Come From? What Is The Origin
Since almost all the coronaviruses originate from different animals, it is hard to figure out the exact animal the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) originated from. However, researchers from China are claiming it most likely came from snakes.
While the idea of a coronavirus coming from snakes may not make sense to the average person out there, the activities around Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, gives a little validation to that point. By activities in Wuhan here, I mean the animal and seafood market alongside the zoological activities in the area.
How 2019-nCoV Is Transmitted Among Humans
The new coronavirus is highly infectious and dangerous. Though the primary method it spreads is from animals to humans, it can also hop from an infected person to others.
The virus spreads among humans mainly in 4 ways:
- By air (through inhaling contaminated air i.e after an infected person must have coughed or sneezed)
- Close contact with an infected person (e.g touching, holding hands etc)
- Touching contaminated surfaces with your bare hands or touching your eyes, nose and mouth with contaminated objects.
- Contaminated faecal matter (this rarely happens though)
Symptoms Of 2019-nCoV Coronavirus To Watch Out For
Studies are presently going on in China, Japan, USA, Thailand and several places around the world to know the full details of the new coronavirus. Including the symptoms.
However, since all coronaviruses cause respiratory problems, the symptoms are closely related. Due to the fact that investigations are still ongoing about this virus, the symptoms listed here may not be all there is to the infection. We will keep updating this page with the latest findings from scientists around the world.
The following are some of the symptoms that have been noticed among persons infected with the virus:
1. Fever
2. Shortness of breath
3. Cough and other lower respiratory problems.
How Is 2019-nCoV Treated?
Presently, there is no known medical cure for the new coronavirus (2019n-nCoV). Scientists are still working on developing the cure. For other type of coronaviruses, most people often recover from the infections on their own. Without any medical treatment.
While the cure for the new coronavirus is being developed, researchers recommend adequate rest, enough fluids and a balanced diet to help the victims.
Let’s hope that the scientists at the United States National Institutes of Health who are already working on the 2019-nCoV cure get done with it as soon as possible.
The goodnews is they are not the only ones working on developing the cure. According to NBC News, Regeneron, the renown drugs manufacturing company, is already working on it too. Hopefully, that will be out any moment from now.
Efforts Being Made To Stop The Spread Of The Virus Globally
As of this moment, various government and non-government agencies are working tirelessly to ensure that the spread of the virus is completely stopped. in China for instance, the movement of people to and fro Wuhan has been greatly limited. This is to ensure that those already infected with the coronavirus do not leave the city to spread it further.
In Nigeria, people coming into the country from China (especially those who visited Wuhan), are carefully tested to ensure that no infected person is allowed to freely roam about the country. If a person is discovered to be carrying the coronavirus, he is isolated in a safe centre where treatments and further tests can be conducted on him.
Is The New Coronavirus In Nigeria Already?
Presently, the answer is no. There has never been any case of the coronavirus reported by the Federal Ministry of Health or other related bodies in Nigeria. We hope it remains so. As a matter of fact, the FG alongside several health organisation, is working seriously to prevent this.
However, though there has never been any case of the new coronavirus disease reported in Nigeria, members of the public are encouraged to learn from reliable sources about the virus and the infection to avoid giving in to anxiety unnecessarily.
I hope you find this information useful. Kindly share it now with a friend or family member. You may be saving a life that way.