- “New coronavirus”, the fast spreading virus has infected thousands of Chinese citizens and has now stretched to about 30 countries.
- It has claimed more than 2,000 lives so far and more than the 774 killed in the 2003 Sars epidemic.
- Across China, tens of thousands of people have been infected with the coronavirus, which causes pneumonia-like symptoms.
- Chinese authorities postponed the country’s annual parliamentary gathering – the National People’s Congress.
- South Korea, Italy and Iran are battling to contain the virus and Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait and Bahrain have also reported their first cases.
- The WHO is advising people in affected areas to follow standard procedures including hand and respiratory hygiene and safe food practices.
The coronavirus outbreak, originating in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has been declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO), says a report by the Visual and Data Journalism Team published in BBC News.
Covid-19
“New coronavirus”, the fast spreading virus has infected thousands of Chinese citizens and has now stretched to about 30 countries.
Covid-19 is the official name for the respiratory infection. It has claimed more than 2,000 lives so far and more than the 774 killed in the 2003 Sars epidemic.
The outbreak, originating in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has been declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Key maps and graphs for better understanding
Here are 10 maps and graphics that will help you understand what is going on.
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There have been thousands of cases – the majority still in China
- Across China, tens of thousands of people have been infected with the coronavirus, which causes pneumonia-like symptoms.
- Thousands more are under medical observation.
After the discovery of the virus in the city of Wuhan, Hubei province in December, the number of cases in the country has been rising since January.
Tight restrictions
China has introduced a number of tight restrictions in a bid to reduce infections, including
- cancelling flights,
- closing schools and workplaces and
- ordering some cities to go into lockdown.
Annual gathering postponed
On Monday (24 Feb), Chinese authorities postponed the country’s annual parliamentary gathering – the National People’s Congress.
Hubei province – the centre of the outbreak – remains the worst affected, seeing by far the biggest number of cases of the virus.
Capital city of Wuhan, home to 11 million people, has been under lockdown since 23 January, with transport links closed into and out of the city.
Illegal wildlife trade
The origins of the new coronavirus have been linked to illegally traded wildlife at Wuhan’s seafood market. This market sells live animals including bats, rabbits and marmots. However, the exact source of the outbreak has not been identified.
Change in count criteria
Officials in Hubei province have come under fire for their handling of the virus outbreak, including causing confusion by changing the criteria used to count the number of cases.
Changes to the way patients were diagnosed half way through February caused a brief spike in the number of confirmed cases. But this change was later reversed, causing a later dip.
Since this spike, the number of daily confirmed cases has been falling, official figures show.
A study of 44,000 cases by the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention found that :
- more than 80% had been mild, with the sick and elderly most at risk,
- while 4.7% had been critical.
According to Chinese officials more than 18,500 people have recovered from the virus.
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Daily deaths appear to be relatively stable
The number of deaths announced each day by the Chinese authorities has been fairly stable over recent days. The spike was caused by the change in diagnosis criteria in mid-February.
Wuhan continues to account for the majority of new cases and deaths in China.
Coronavirus has overtaken the 2003 Sars epidemic in both confirmed cases and deaths.
The Sars, severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak lasted around eight months and killed 774 people out of around 8,100 confirmed cases.
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South Korea, Italy and Iran are battling to contain the virus
A pandemic?
A significant jump in the number of cases outside China has raised fears the virus outbreak could become a pandemic. Pandemic is when an infectious disease spreads easily from person to person in many parts of the world.
Paul Hunter, professor of health protection at the University of East Anglia in the UK, said the spike in numbers was “extremely concerning”.
South Korea
- South Korea has the largest number of confirmed cases outside China – with a rise in reported infections on Monday.
- The biggest virus clusters have been linked to a hospital and a religious group near the south-eastern city of Daegu, which has a population of around 2.5m.
Italy
- Italy has seen the largest number of cases in Europe.
- The country’s authorities have announced a series of measures to try to halt the virus’s spread.
- It is not yet clear how it entered the country.
Lockdown in Italy
Several small towns in the Italian regions of Lombardy and Veneto have been placed in lockdown, leaving 50,000 residents unable to leave without permission.
Many businesses and schools have also suspended activities, and sporting events have been cancelled – including several top-flight football matches.
Iran
- Iran has also confirmed it has seen a number of cases of the virus, most of them in the holy city of Qom, south of capital Tehran.
- In response, many of Iran’s neighbours have announced the temporary closure of their borders with the country.
First cases reported
Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait and Bahrain have reported their first cases, all involving people who had come from Iran.
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Overall, about 30 countries have cases
The WHO declared the crisis a global health emergency on 30 January as a result of the virus’s spread outside China.
Other countries infected
Infections have now been recorded in 30 other countries, including Japan, Thailand, the US, Canada, France, Italy, Germany and the UK. The majority of these cases are people who had been to Wuhan.
Port of Yokohama
The largest outbreak outside China has been on a cruise ship docked in the Japanese port of Yokohama. Two people have died and more than 600 of the 3,700 people on the ship have been diagnosed with the virus.
Avoid travel to China!
A growing number of countries have advised their citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to China. Many have announced screening measures for passengers arriving from the country.
Evacuation from Wuhan
Some countries have also been evacuating their citizens from Wuhan and placing them in quarantine to monitor them for symptoms and avoid contagion.
Warnings issued
The US has declared the outbreak a public health emergency and the UK has declared it a “serious and imminent threat” to public health, announcing new powers to fight its spread.
The WHO has warned against closing borders, saying it would accelerate the spread of the virus if travellers started entering countries unofficially.
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The symptoms are respiratory
- Coronaviruses are common, and typically cause mild respiratory conditions, such as a cough or runny nose.
- But some are more serious and as deadly as Sars and Mers – Middle East respiratory syndrome.
- Covid-19 is a new strain not previously identified in humans.
Symptoms
- It seems to start with a fever, followed by a dry cough and leads to shortness of breath after a week.
- But in more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.
Patients pre-existing conditions
A report on the early stages of the outbreak by the Lancet medical journal said most patients who died from the virus had had pre-existing conditions.
Too early to predict
Medical researchers and scientists say it is too early to accurately predict how the virus will spread or calculate the death rate.
Incubation period
The incubation period between infection and showing symptoms, lasts up to 14 days, according to the WHO. However, some researchers say it may be as long as 24 days.
Anti-viral treatment
There is not yet a specific anti-viral treatment for coronavirus, so people with the infection are currently being treated for their symptoms.
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You can do things to reduce your chances of catching it
The WHO is advising people in affected areas to follow standard procedures to reduce the chance of catching the virus.
They include hand and respiratory hygiene as well as safe food practices.
Guidance from WHO
- People are advised to avoid close contact with people suffering from acute respiratory infections.
- Wash hands regularly, especially after direct contact with ill people or their environment.
- Avoid unprotected contact with farm or wild animals.
- Avoiding eating raw or undercooked animal products is also advised.
How is the virus spread?
According to the WHO, although it may be possible that people with coronavirus may be infectious before showing significant symptoms, people showing symptoms are, so far, causing the majority of virus spread.
Those with symptoms should practise “cough etiquette”, including maintaining distance, covering coughs and sneezes with disposable tissues or the inside of an elbow, and washing hands.
Safety masks
In China, protective face masks are in widespread use – both among the general population and medical staff.
Although virologists are sceptical about their effectiveness against airborne viruses, there is some evidence to suggest the masks can help prevent hand-to-mouth transmissions.
Medical advice in China is to change masks regularly – as often as four times a day for medical teams – and Chinese authorities have appealed to other countries to help with supplies.
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If a case is suspected, there are processes to follow
Quarantine
The Chinese government has classified the outbreak in the same category as the Sars epidemic.
This means people diagnosed with the virus in the country must be isolated and can be placed in quarantine.
Within healthcare facilities, the WHO advises staff to implement enhanced standard infection prevention and control practices, especially in emergency departments.
Treatment
The WHO advises that patients should be assessed quickly and treated for the level of severity of the disease they have – mild, moderate, or severe.
Preventive measures
It also recommends immediately implementing infection prevention measures. These include staff wearing protective clothing and limiting patient movement around the hospital.
Isolation facilities in the UK
In the UK, the Department of Health has declared the new coronavirus as a “serious and imminent threat” to public health, giving authorities in England new powers to keep people in quarantine.
England’s chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, said the UK strategy was focussed on containment and isolation.
Arrowe Park Hospital, on the Wirral, and Kents Hill Park conference centre, in Milton Keynes, have been designated “isolation” facilities in the UK.
Tested negative
All but one of the nine people being treated for the coronavirus in the UK have now been discharged from hospital, after twice testing negative for the virus.
British businessman recovered
British businessman Steve Walsh, one of the nine UK cases, contracted the virus on a business trip to Singapore and unknowingly passed it on to 11 other people – five of whom then returned to the UK. He has now fully recovered and been discharged from hospital.
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Source: BBC News
