Coronaviruses are pathogens that most often cause symptoms of respiratory infections. In adults, it is usually a harmless cold, but in children, the elderly and those who are immunocompromised, coronoviruses can lead to the development of a life-threatening disease. Among the coronaviruses, two deadly viruses have been distinguished so far - SARS-CoV and MERS-Cov.

Coronavirusesare pathogens that cause respiratory and digestive infections in humans and animals. The first mentions of coronaviruses causing human infections date back to the 1960s, when two pathogens - HCoV-229E and HCoV-OC43 - were discovered to cause a mild cold that disappears on its own within a few days. The deadly SARS-CoV and MERS-Cov viruses are also known. In January 2022, a new type of coronavirus was named - 2022-nCoV. The disease was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

Coronaviruses - how can you get infected?

The SARS-CoV virus appeared in the human population as a result of transmission from bats, with other animals such as gourds and raccoon dogs as intermediate hosts. An area endangered by the SARS-CoV virus is Southeast Asia.

In turn, camels are considered the most likely source of the MERS-CoV virus for humans. The virus can be found in the secretions of the respiratory tract, faeces, urine and milk of infected animals. Contact with these secretions could transmit infection. The MERS-CoV virus distribution area is the Middle East. Illnesses are noted in

  • Saudi Arabia,
  • United Arab Emirates,
  • Oman, Qatar,
  • Iran,
  • Bahrain,
  • Jordan,
  • Kuwait,
  • Lebanon,
  • Egypt
  • Yemen.

You can get infected with the coronavirus 2022-nCoV by improper hygiene: not washing your hands with soap and water before and after a meal and after returning home from outside. Contact with unknown and potentially dangerous animals is also dangerous, as well as careless preparation of meals, especially meat.

Under certain conditions, the SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and 2022-nCoV viruses may be transmitted from person to person - among people who have close contact with peoplesick people, including family, he alth care professionals and other patients. Other variants of coronoviruses can also spread from person to person.

Coronaviruses - symptoms of infection

In adults, the HCoV-229E and HCoV-OC43 coronaviruses cause a relatively mild infection, in the course of which typical symptoms of a common cold appear, mainly rhinitis (runny nose), and in isolated cases, coughing. Symptoms usually last up to a week and then disappear spontaneously.

Symptoms of getting sick with Wuhan virus (2022-nCoV) include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Chest X-rays showed the typical features of viral pneumonia with diffuse bilateral infiltrates.

Human coronavirus infections are seasonal, with rates highest in winter and early spring.

Coronavirus - diagnostics

The basic diagnostic methods include:

  • interview with the patient - if he has the above-mentioned symptoms of infection, ask if he or she has been in the area where the SARS-Cov or MERS-CoV virus is present, including at the airport, during the last 10 days and close contact within 10 days with a sick or only suspected person
  • X-ray and computed tomography of the chest
  • blood tests

Coronavirus - treatment

So far, there are no medications to fight these dangerous viruses. Currently, unproven drugs approved for use in other indications are used for MERS-CoV infections. For example, attempts are being made to use interferon in combination with lopinavir and ritonavir, drugs approved for use in HIV-infected people. The choice of these drugs is based mainly on the experience of the SARS-CoV epidemic.

Coronaviruses - how to prevent infection?

To prevent contamination:

  • avoid contact with sick people
  • follow the rules of personal hygiene, including washing your hands frequently with soap and water
  • when traveling, stock up on an antibacterial hand gel or a supply of disposable wipes saturated with an alcohol solution
  • avoid touching eyes, mouth, nose with contaminated hands
  • follow the rules of good breathing (when coughing and sneezing, cover your nose and mouth with a disposable tissue)
  • avoid all contact with animals (domestic, farm and wild) and their faeces, especially when traveling abroad

In addition, tourists should read the information on the WHO website regarding warnings for people traveling to countries where the MERS virus occursCoV.

Coronaviruses in children

In children, the elderly and people with weakened immunity, these pathogens can cause severe acute disease (including bronchitis, subglottic laryngitis, pneumonia).

HCoV-NL63 and HCoV-HKU1 viruses cause similar infections as strains 229E and OC43.

In contrast, infection caused by SARS-CoV begins with a high fever (>38 ° C) accompanied by: dry cough, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, and headache, muscle and joint pain. About 20 percent of patients develop acute respiratory failure that may be fatal.

In the case of MERS-CoV infection, symptoms are initially non-specific and include, for example, fever, chills, headache, cough, shortness of breath and muscle aches. Additionally, there may be sore throat, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, diarrhea and abdominal pain. In the next stage of the disease, pneumonia develops, which may result in death. Renal impairment was also commonly seen in patients. The symptoms of the coronavirus 2022-nCoV look similar.

Coronavirus - history

It was not until 2002 that a deadly variant of the coronavirus - SARS-CoV - appeared in China, which causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (a type of atypical pneumonia), later referred to as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome). According to WHO data, during the SARS epidemic (November 2002 to July 2003), a total of 8,422 cases of SARS occurred worldwide, 916 of which were fatal.

This epidemic contributed to the identification and description of other but less dangerous human coronaviruses - HCoV-NL63 (alpha-coronavirus) and HCoV-HKU1 (beta-coronavirus).

The second deadly form of the coronavirus - the MERS-CoV (middle east respiratory syndrome) virus - was discovered in 2012. Like the SARS-CoV virus, it causes severe pneumonia, but is much more dangerous because it also causes acute kidney failure. According to WHO data, from the time the MERS-CoV virus was identified in 2012 to August 26, 2016, there were a total of 1,800 laboratory-confirmed cases of MERS-CoV infection worldwide, including at least 640 deaths.

The 2022-nCoV virus manifests itself with difficulty breathing, fever, and causes pulmonary infiltrates and pneumonia. Its sources are not known yet, but it can mutate to more dangerous forms and spread quickly. among others by air transport, hence introduced in some countries, including Japan, USA, South Korea, controlspassengers from China at airports.

Category:

Infectious diseases