what is corona virus
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Brief Report On Corona Virus:
What is Corona Virus?
- Corona Virus (commonly known as CoV), is a virus which belongs to the family Coronaviridae.
- It was discovered around 1960s.
- Corona viruses are zoonotic which means that they are transmitted between animals and humans.
- There are several known corona viruses which are affecting animals alone.
It is known as the root cause of many diseases in human beings like:
- Common Cold.
- Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. (SARS)
- Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. (MERS)
Why has this virus become so popular all of a sudden ?
- In the month of December, 2019, this strain of virus had started to infect human beings and it has been termed as 2019-nCoV and COVID-19 by the World Health Organisation.
- It started in Wuhan, China.
- Such a virus outbreak was never encountered by mankind. And this is the reason why this virus caught our eyes and ears in everyday life.
- Also, the fact that this virus is an airborne virus instilled fear in many.
How can I know if someone is infected with this virus?
The visible symptoms of this virus include:
- Fever.
- Cough.
- Shortness of Breath.
- Breathing Difficulties.
- Pneumonia.
- Other Respiratory Symptoms.
It can even cause:
- Acute Respiratory Syndrome.
- Kidney Failure.
- Death.
Is there a cure/vaccine for this?
- No. There is no specific antiviral treatment recommended for this virus.
- World Scientists are on a race to find a proper vaccine for this virus.
- The only treatment which is being given for patients is supportive care to help relieve symptoms.
- And in case of severe cases, treatment includes care to support vital organ functioning.
How can I ensure that I don't catch this virus?
- Wash your Hands regularly and properly. (Till the fore arm, on both sides of the hands, between the fingers and under the nails with Alcohol based sanitizers only.)
- Thoroughly cooking meat and eggs.
- Avoiding close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness as given above as this virus is airborne.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- And lastly, avoid going to public places, i.e. crowded places as you don't know who is sick.
What is the global situation now?
- The mortality rate of this virus is nearly 4% and around 95,500 people have been infected of which 3,200 have died .(As of 3rd March 2020)
- The world economy is slowly falling as the fear of the virus is spreading.
- Globally, efforts are being made by every country to curb this outbreak and prevent this from becoming another pandemic.
The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic is the defining global health crisis of our time and the greatest challenge we have faced since World War Two. Since its emergence in Asia late last year, the virus has spread to every continent except Antarctica.
We have now reached the tragic milestone of one million deaths, and the human family is suffering under an almost intolerable burden of loss.
“The climbing death toll is staggering, and we must work together to slow the spread of this virus.” - UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner.
But the pandemic is much more than a health crisis, it's also an unprecedent socio-economic crisis. Stressing every one of the countries it touches, it has the potential to create devastating social, economic and political effects that will leave deep and longstanding scars. UNDP is the technical lead in the UN’s socio-economic recovery, alongside the health response, led by WHO, and the Global Humanitarian Response Plan, and working under the leadership of the UN Resident Coordinators.Every day, people are losing jobs and income, with no way of knowing when normality will return. Small island nations, heavily dependent on tourism, have empty hotels and deserted beaches. The International Labour Organization estimates that 400 million jobs could be lost.
The World Bank projects a US$110 billion decline in remittances this year, which could mean 800 million people will not be able to meet their basic needs.