The global death toll from the coronavirus spread breached the 4,000-mark on Tuesday and the outbreak has spread to over 100 countries with more than 110,000 cases of infection. In India, the number of confirmed virus cases rose to more than 50. However, there has been no case of death reported so far. Israel's confirmed Covid-19 toll reaches 50
Eleven new cases of the novel coronavirus have been reported in Israel which raised the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 50, according to the Israeli Ministry of Health.
Due to coronavirus, cinema theatres will remain closed from tomorrow till March 31 in the state. The decision was taken at a meeting of various Malayalam cinema organizations in Kochi.Chicken sales decline by 35% as govt battles speculation on coronavirus
Poultry industry experts say chicken sales have declined by nearly 35 per cent in recent weeks even as the government mounts efforts to counter rumours that deadly coronavirus can be transmitted by consuming it.Kerala government has come out with massive restrictions and regulations to check the spread of Covid-19 in the state. In all 15 cases have been reported from the state and the affected persons have been put under isolation wards of different hospitals. Three Wuhan returned students, who were tested positive for the virus were discharged earlier.
3 new cases in Karnataka; 6 in Kerala
In Kerala, four positive cases have been reported in Kottayam and two in Pathanmathiita. In total, 12 cases have been reported in the state so far. Parents of the Italy returned person who a re-admitted at Kottayam medical college who are 90 and 85 years old have been tested positive. The two people who had gone to pick the people from airport who had come from Italy have also been tested positive. In Karnataka, three new cases have been reported.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus a virus closely related to the SARS virus.[10][11][12] The disease was discovered and named during the 2019–20 coronavirus outbreak.[13][14] Those affected may develop a fever, dry cough, fatigue, and shortness of breath.[7][15][16] A sore throat, runny nose or sneezing is less common.[17] While the majority of cases result in mild symptoms,[18] some can progress to pneumonia and multi-organ failure.
The infection is spread from one person to others via respiratory droplets produced from the airways, often during coughing or sneezing.[19][20] Time from exposure to onset of symptoms is generally between 2 and 14 days, with an average of 5 days.[21][22][23] The standard method of diagnosis is by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) from a nasopharyngeal swab or sputum sample, with results within a few hours to 2 days. Antibody assays can also be used, using a blood serum sample, with results within a few days. The infection can also be diagnosed from a combination of symptoms, risk factors and a chest CT scan showing features of pneumonia.
Correct handwashing technique, maintaining distance from people who are coughing and not touching one's face with unwashed hands are measures recommended to prevent the disease. It is also recommended to cover one's nose and mouth with a tissue or a bent elbow when coughing.[27] Masks are recommended in those who suspect they have the virus and for those who are taking care of someone with a suspected infection but not for the general public. There is no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment, with management involving treatment of symptoms, supportive care and experimental measures.[30] The case fatality rate is estimated at between 1% and 3%.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the 2019–20 coronavirus outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). As of 7 March 2020, evidence of local transmission of the disease has been found in multiple countries across all six WHO regions.
Signs and symptoms
Those infected may either be asymptomatic or develop symptoms including fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Diarrhea or upper respiratory symptoms (e.g. sneezing, runny nose, sore throat) are less frequent. Cases can progress to pneumonia, multi-organ failure, and death in the most vulnerable.
The incubation period ranges from 1 to 14 days with an estimated median incubation period of 5 to 6 days according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Another study of 1,099 Chinese patients found that CT scans showed ground-glass opacities in 56% of patients, but 18% had no radiological findings. 5% of patients were admitted to intensive care units, 2.3% needed mechanical support of ventilation, and 1.4% died.[39] Bilateral and peripheral ground glass opacities are the most typical CT findings, according to researcher Bernheim et al. Consolidation, linear opacities, reverse halo sign are other radiological findings. Initially the lesions are located to one lung, but as the disease progress, indications manifest to both lungs in 88% of patients.[40] Children seem to handle the disease better than adults as the symptoms are usually milder, but sufficient evidence is still lacking.
Cause
The disease is caused by the virus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), previously referred to as the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).[11] It is primarily spread between people via respiratory droplets from coughs and sneezes.
The virus accesses host cells via angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). ACE2 is found in various organs of the body, but it is most abundant in the type II alveolar cells of the lungs. This explains why lungs are the most affected organs. The density of ACE2 in each patient is a determent of the severity of the disease.[43][44] As the disease at the alveolare progresses, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) develops, which might lead to respiratory failure and death might ensue.[44] ACE2 might also be the path for the virus to assault he heart causing acute cardiac injury. Patients with existing cardiovascular conditions have worst prognosis.
The virus is thought to have an animal origin.[46] Ξ€here has been a "continuous common source" of the outbreak in December 2019, which would imply that several animal-to-human zoonotic events occurred at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market. The primary source of infection became human-to-human transmission in early January 2020.
Diagnosis
The WHO has published several testing protocols for the disease.[51][52] The standard method of testing is real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR).[53] The test can be done on respiratory samples obtained by various methods, including nasopharyngeal swab or sputum sample.[54] Results are generally available within a few hours to 2 days. Blood tests can be used, but these require two blood samples taken two weeks apart and the results have little immediate value.[57] Chinese scientists were able to isolate a strain of the coronavirus and publish the genetic sequence so that laboratories across the world could independently develop polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests to detect infection by the virus.
COVID-19 testing can also be done with antibody test kits.[64] Antibody assays use a blood serum sample and can provide a positive result even if the person has recovered and the virus is no longer present.[24] The first antibody test was demonstrated by a team at the Wuhan Institute of Virology on 17 February 2020.[65][24] On 25 February, a team from Duke–NUS Medical School in Singapore announced another antibody test for COVID-19 that can provide a result within a few days.
Diagnostic guidelines released by Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University suggested methods for detecting infections based upon clinical features and epidemiological risk. These involved identifying patients who had at least two of the following symptoms in addition to a history of travel to Wuhan or contact with other infected patients: fever, imaging features of pneumonia, normal or reduced white blood cell count, or reduced lymphocyte count.[25] A study published by a team at the Tongji Hospital in Wuhan on 26 February 2020 showed that a chest CT scan for COVID-19 has more sensitivity (98%) than the polymerase chain reaction (71%).[26] False negative results maybe the outcome of PRC-Kit failure or because of problems of the tissue sample. False positive results have also been reported.
Prevention
Global health organisations have published preventive measures to reduce the chances of infection in locations with an outbreak of the disease. Recommendations are similar to those published for other coronaviruses: stay home, avoid travel and public activities, wash hands with soap and hot water often, practice good respiratory hygiene, and avoid touching the eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.[69][70]
According to the WHO, the use of masks is recommended if a person is coughing or sneezing or when one is taking care of someone with a suspected infection.[71]
To prevent transmission of the virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that infected individuals stay at home except to get medical care, call ahead before visiting a healthcare provider, wear a face mask (especially in public), cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, regularly wash hands with soap and water, and avoid sharing personal household items.[72]
The CDC recommended that individuals wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the toilet or when hands are visibly dirty, before eating, and after blowing one's nose, coughing, or sneezing. It further recommended using an alcohol-based hand sanitiser with at least 60% alcohol, but only when soap and water are not readily available.[69] The WHO advises individuals to avoid touching the eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.[70]
In early 2020, the WHO said it did not expect a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 to become available in less than 18 months. Several are under development using a variety of approaches, with at least one expected to begin Phase I safety trials in March, 2020.
Management
There are no specific antiviral medications. Symptoms are managed with supportive care.[75] The WHO and Chinese National Health Commission have published treatment recommendations for taking care of people who are hospitalized with COVID19.[76][77] Steroids such as methylprednisolone are not recommended unless the disease is complicated by acute respiratory distress syndrome.[78][79] The CDC recommends that those who suspect they carry the virus should wear a facemask.[28]
Management of patients infected by the virus includes taking precautions while applying therapeutic maneuvers, especially those who entail generating aerosols like intubation or hand ventilation.
