Since its discovery in Wuhan, China, the Coronavirus has raised global concern and caught the attention of the World Health Organization. Several countries have volunteered aid and advised against traveling to China.
Viral Origins of the 2020 Coronavirus
China isn’t sure where exactly the virus came from, though they suspect it was from a seafood market involved in illicit animal transportation. It is presumed that the virus jumped the species barrier from animal to human. The exact animal isn’t known at this point. This can occur in countries that don’t follow modern day sanitation and food safety practices.
Symptoms of the Virus
The virus has reported to start with a fever, which is compounded by a dry cough. After a week, dyspnea (shortness of breath) occurs which may require hospitalization. Those affected most heavily by the virus experienced cytokine storms.
A cytokine storm is when a patient’s immune system responds so aggressively to the point that the lungs become inflamed. The lungs of the patient then fill with fluid to the point where it can be fatal. Of those who have died from the virus, most were elderly in age and had pre-existing conditions that left them more vulnerable.
Treatment & Travel Restrictions
There is no known vaccine or cure of the virus as of now, those infected by the virus have to weather the symptoms. The city of Wuhan, which is comparable in size to London, has been put under lockdown.
Travel restrictions have been implemented in neighboring cities, and Lunar New Year celebrations. The U.S. has begun evacuating the embassy from Wuhan and is monitoring flights from China. The U.S. and other government organizations have also recommended avoiding travel to the country at this time.
China’s Experienced & Stong
China is no stranger to large scale outbreaks, you may be familiar with SARS in 2003, a variant strain of Coronavirus. Or more recently the 2008 Milk Crisis left over 300,000 babies sick from milk tainted with melamine. This led to the establishment of the CFDA, or China Food and Drug Administration. With the World Health Organization and other countries involved too, the contagion will hopefully be contained soon.
2020’s Coronavirus Update
The virus has infected over 2,000 people and killed at least 80. While those numbers may seem alarming due to how quickly its spread, the seasonal flu is a bigger threat to those outside of China. The coronavirus is a serious concern to those living in Wuhan and the surrounding cities, but it is unlikely that there will be a serious outbreak in the surrounding countries with modern health standards.
We share our thoughts and prays for the families affected in China. We stand strong with China and our trade partners through this. Learn more about China and what’s going on, check out some of our latest blog posts.