Coronavirus: From China to global health emergency

Origin

Although the actual origin of the coronavirus is unknown, scientists in China have speculated that the strain could have originated from bats. Scientists from the Wuhan Institute of Virology had earlier made an eerily prescient observation, where they noted that they believed that bat-borne CoVs (coronaviruses) will re-emerge to cause the next disease outbreak, adding that, China is a likely hotspot.

While it is uncertain to say the Wuhan coronavirus originated in bats and whether an intermediary played a role, the outbreak was initially traced to a seafood market that sold live animals in Wuhan and scientists around the world are working hard to trace the source both in the laboratory and in the field.

As the virus continues to spread thousands around the world have blamed the epidemic on “dirty” Chinese eating habits. A recent video of a young Chinese woman, supposedly in Wuhan, biting into a whole bat did not help change people opinion of the cause of the strain.

Wu Stan, specialist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control said the data was pointing toward the virus going from one bat to another, unknown wild animals, and then to humans. She said no bats were sold or found at the seafood market and the outbreak was first reported in late December when most bat species in Wuhan were hibernating.

Notably, Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, also contested the general analysis. According to him the virus has been detected in both bats and snakes and the strains in both bats and snakes are similar to each other and to the strains from human cases.

 

The WHO verdict

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has officially declared the epidemic an international public health emergency. The United Nations body said it has infected more than 8,200 people across the world, making it a global health emergency.

The World Health Organisation acknowledged that the disease now represents a risk beyond China, where it emerged last month.

The announcement came just hours after the United States of America confirmed its first human-to-human transmission of the virus, which has reportedly killed 171 people in China and has now spread to at least 18 other countries.

Notably, the last time the WHO declared a global health emergency was in 2019 for the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo that killed more than 2,000 people.

The agency also declared global emergencies for the 2016 Zika virus, the 2009 H1N1 swine flu and the 2014 polio and Ebola outbreaks.

Dr Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s health emergencies program, told reporters that one of the criteria used to determine whether the coronavirus is an international health threat is whether the disease spreads locally once it arrives in new parts of the world

The other main criteria is whether it already interfered or will likely interfere with trade and travel, he said.

 

Symptoms

According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms of coronavirus are similar to any other upper respiratory infection, including runny nose, coughing, sore throat, and sometimes a fever. In most cases, it is not clear whether someone has contracted the virus or it is just a different cold-causing virus.

Notably, symptoms of the coronavirus infection affect the lower respiratory tract (your windpipe and your lungs). It can also cause pneumonia, especially in older people, people with heart disease, or people with weakened immune systems.

If contacted symptoms are believed to appear between two to five days. Most common symptoms, according to the WHO, include feeling tired, difficulty breathing, high temperature, cough and sore throat.

 

Foreign nationals evacuated from China

After the outbreak of the virus hundreds of foreign nationals have been evacuated from Wuhan, where the virus first emerged, with Japan, the US and the EU among those repatriating their citizens.

The city itself is currently quarantined with over 11 million people marking a week on lockdown with no sign of immediate relief.

The virus has since spread to various parts of the world, with more than a hundred cases confirmed across nearly 20 countries worldwide, spanning North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Germany, reportedly recorded the first case of human-to-human transmission in Europe, as several world government accuses China of downplaying the strain.

This development also led Chinese authorities to order the extension of a public holiday

African countries enact measures to prevent spread

in an effort to contain the epidemic. China also announced an indefinite postponement to its 2020 National Winter Games.

As countries began recording cases of the coronavirus epidemic, different events were put off and countries began evacuating theirs nationals.

Cities in China impose travel restrictions, as Shantou in southern China said non-emergency vehicles would not be allowed into the city and all passengers arriving at train stations would be screened and “urged to return”, in an attempt at “preventing and controlling” the spread of the virus

Hong Kong’s popular theme parks Disneyland and Ocean Park were closed to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The Chinese finance ministry and National Health Commission noted the addition of 60.33 billion yuan ($8.74 billion) to help contain the spreading virus.

Canada announced its first case of the coronavirus in a resident who returned last week from Wuhan on January 26. Barbara Yaffe, Ontario’s associate chief medical officer of health, told reporters that the man was being treated in a public hospital and was in a stable condition.

The US State Department announced the evacuation of its staff at the Wuhan consulate to the United States and offer a limited number of seats to other US citizens on a flight out of the city. Several cases were also confirmed in the United States. The first was recorded in Orange County, California, as the patient was reportedly a traveller from Wuhan.

US President Donald Trump also noted the United States and China were in close contact over the deadly coronavirus outbreak.

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Trump stated via his twitter handle that, “We are in very close communication with China concerning the virus. Very few cases reported in USA, but strongly on watch. We have offered China and President Xi any help that is necessary. Our experts are extraordinary!”

The US State Department had earlier warned its nationals against visiting China and noted Americans should not travel to the Hubei province, given the city of Wuhan is ground zero for the deadly coronavirus.

Nearly 200 US citizens evacuated from Wuhan landed at a military base in California on Wednesday, where officials declared them free of symptoms.

The United Kingdom issued a directive that anyone who returned to Britain from Wuhan in China in the last two weeks should self-isolate themselves and also urged them to shun travelling to China.

France’s government also announced the repatriation of hundreds of its citizens from the Chinese city of Wuhan.

According to the French health minister, “any French citizens who want to leave Wuhan will be taken on a direct flight to France in the middle of the week, and then held in quarantine for 14 days.”

The World Health Organization said in a situation report that the risk currently in China, was “very high at the regional level as well at the global level.”

The French Health Minister Agnes Buzyn has identify that there are currently between 500 and 1,000 French nationals in the Chinese city that is the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak.

In a footnote, the WHO admitted it made an incorrect analysis in its previous reports when it stated that the global risk was “moderate”.

WHO Director General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, also arrived in Beijing to meet government officials and those dealing with the coronavirus outbreak.

According to him, they will look into the matter, understand the latest developments and partner with China in containing the virus and providing further protection against the outbreak.

 

China to guide global response to outbreak

After the meeting, China reported it has agreed to the World Health Organization to send international experts to study and increase their understanding of the new coronavirus and guide the global response to the outbreak.

Spain’s Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya, said the Spanish government is working with China and the European Union to repatriate Spanish nationals from Wuhan.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in has urged his citizens not to give in to fear as the government prepared to evacuate nationals from Wuhan.

On Wednesday, protesters used tractors to block the roads to facilities earmarked for quarantine centres, calling for them to be located further away from homes and schools.

Germany Health Minister Jens Spahn, said the government will introduce new reporting requirements for airlines and hospitals to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus from China.

Pilots on flights from China will have to inform air traffic control towers about the health status of their passengers before landing at German airports.

Incoming travellers from China will also be asked to fill out forms that detail how they can be reached in the 30 days after their arrival.

International conglomerate such as Facebook also instructed its employees to suspend nonessential trips to mainland China to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

 

Google, McDonald’s shut down offices in China

Google also temporarily shut down all its offices in China. The shutdown includes all offices in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, according to the report.

US fast-food giant McDonald’s said it closed all of its restaurants in Hubei province.

Some neighbouring countries took to shutting of its border with China in an effort to halt the spread of the deadly virus.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said that the land border with China will remain closed to car traffic until March 1.

Enkhtuvishin Ulziisaikhan, Mongolia’s Vice Prime Minister said, “Pedestrians and cars are prohibited to cross the Chinese border,” adding that schools and universities would stay closed until March 2, along with other public places.

“Public events are also prohibited. Public events mean conferences, any public gathering such as sports, entertainment or travel and competitions,” he noted.

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Countries suspend flights to Beijing

As the virus continues to spread several countries have begun reviewing their travel advisory.

El Al Israel Airlines has said it was suspending flights to Beijing until March 25.

Although, Israel’s flag carrier noted its Thursday flight from Beijing to Tel Aviv would return as scheduled.

US carrier United Airlines, Indonesia’s Lion Air Group, South Korean budget carrier Air Seoul, Taiwan’s China Airlines and EVA Air, Air Canada, Lufthansa and Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific have all suspended flights to Beijing.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has also announced it has shipped six tonnes of humanitarian supplies to China, including masks and protective suits, to help it fight the coronavirus epidemic.

 

African countries enact measures to prevent spread of virus

Some African countries have recorded the presence of the virus. Notably out of them is Ethiopia which was said to have quarantined four people suspected of contracting the novel coronavirus.

The Ethiopian health ministry said the suspected individuals were identified through a screening conducted at the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport and the four have been quarantined at the Bole Tafa centre.

He added that all four suspects came from Wuhan city in Hubei province in China where the virus is taking the biggest toll and where it was first identified. He noted that the, “The specimen(s) from the four suspects have been sent to South Africa for further examination.”

Also Equatorial Guinea, has announced it has quarantined four travellers who had arrived from Beijing as well.

Meanwhile in Mauritania, the Chinese embassy said China had asked its nationals who have recently arrived or returned to the country to remain confined for at least 14 days.

Côte d’Ivoire also reported its first suspected case recently.

 

FG issues travel advisory

As the fear of the virus grips the world as it continues to spread across international borders, the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, on Thursday declared that though the Nigerian health system is fragile, Nigerians would overcome any challenge posed by the deadly disease in the event of an outbreak in the country.

The minister said this as the leadership of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) expressed fears over the safety of their members in the event of any outbreak in the country.

Dr Ehanire, who was speaking at the official launch of ‘Nursing now Nigeria,’ with the theme, ‘Nursing: From Bedside to Boardroom,’ assured Nigerians that as it confronted the Ebola virus, the Federal Government was ready at all time to protect the country against any viral disease, including Coronavirus.