By TALLA A. CHRISTOPHER & NOELA E. BISONG (with reports)
The Minister of Public Health has through his Secretary General given tips on how to prevent Coronavirus.
In a Press Release made public Tuesday, January 28, 2020 and endorsed by the Secretary General in the Ministry of Public Health, Professor Koulla- Shiro Sinata, Minister Manaouda Malachie calls on all in Cameroon, to be more vigilant and respect basic hygienic rules in order to avoid the current Coronavirus that is in an alarm rate in Asia and other Western Countries.
Some of the preventive tips include washing of hands regularly with clean water and soap, use hydro alcoholic solution, cover the nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, avoid close contact with anyone with flu-like symptoms or with wild and farm animals and make sure to eat properly cooked beef and egg .
According to the Minister of Public Health, there is, since December 31, 2019 an epidemic caused by a new type of coronavirus that has been prevailing in China and with a worldwide spread in countries such as Thailand, Japan, South Korea, USA and France. The disease, the release states, is characterised by symptoms of a respiratory tract conditions, such as cough, sore throat, runny nose and breathing difficulties sometimes accompanied by fever which lead to death.
The Coronavirus is mainly transmitted from animals to humans, notwithstanding the fact that human to human transmission is also possible.
However, despite the virus, the Minister of Public Health informs the public that, there is no restrictions on traffic or international trade but epidemiological surveillance at air and maritime ports of entry be strengthened.
In order to better re-enforce Coronavirus preventive measures, the Minister has equally indicated that any person who has traveled out of Cameroon or has been in contact with a sick traveler and manifests the Coronavirus symptoms in the last 14 days should immediately call 1510 for proper health care meanwhile health personnel should also strengthen preventive measures and report any suspected case accordingly.
All you need to know about the deadly novel coronavirus
What is the coronavirus?
Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from a cold to more severe diseases. Typically, symptoms include a fever, fatigue, sore throat and dry cough, and may later develop into breathing difficulties. These viruses are transmitted between animals and people. This novel coronavirus, currently named 2019-nCoV, is a new strain that had not been previously identified in humans.
Where and when did the infection start?
The source of the coronavirus is believed to be a seafood market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. The city’s health commission said the infection broke out between December 12 and 29, with some of the patients employed at the market. The animal source of the outbreak has not been identified but two recent research papers have pointed to bats and snakes as the possible culprits.
The market in Wuhan, now shut down, was home to stalls trading in many different animals, including snakes, marmots and poultry. These “wet” markets are popular in China as customers like to purchase their meat “warm” – that is, recently slaughtered.
How far has it spread?
While most people affected are in China, cases in this fast-moving outbreak have now been found in the United States, France, Australia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan, Macau, Japan and the Philippines. Fourteen people are being tested in the United Kingdom.
How quickly has it spread?
Since the outbreak in mid-December, cases have escalated at pace. Within a month, two people in China had died while about 40 cases were identified. As of January 28, the death toll stood at 131 with more than 5,000 cases.
The city of Macau, a gambling hub hugely popular with mainland tourists, has confirmed five cases as of Sunday. In Hong Kong, six people are known to have the disease and Taiwan has uncovered five cases so far.
As of January 27, the virus has continued to spread internationally, with the United States recording five confirmed cases and Canada confirming its first case.
Singapore has five while Nepal has identified its first, Thailand its eighth and Cambodia has one. Sri Lanka confirmed its first case of the virus on Monday
Elsewhere in Asia, Taiwan has uncovered four cases so far, South Korean media reported the country’s forth case, and Vietnam confirmed two cases. Malaysia and Japan have both confirmed four cases.
Australia has confirmed it has five confirmed cases of the virus.
In Europe, France has confirmed three cases while Germany has recorded one case so far.
Despite the speed and spread of the virus, experts have been surprised that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has not declared a global health crisis, which would see emergency measures put in place. The organisation said it was “too early” to do so.
Past and Present stakes
As of now, 132 people have died because of the novel coronavirus outbreak and thousands have been infected. Since it’s a new strain, there is no specific vaccine that can treat it. The Chinese government has clamped down on the central Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the deadly coronavirus that has claimed 132 lives so far and infected thousands. The reach of the virus has been reported from as far as the United States. The outbreak happened last month.
About 858 people have died from Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), which first appeared in 2012 in Saudi Arabia and then in other countries in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Europe. In April 2014, the first American was hospitalised for MERS in Indiana and another case was reported in Florida. Both had just returned from Saudi Arabia. In May 2015, there was an outbreak of MERS in Korea, which was the largest outbreak outside of the Arabian Peninsula. In 2003, 774 people died from a severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak. As of 2015, there were no further reports of cases of SARS.
But In early 2020, following a December 2019 outbreak in China, the World Health Organisation identified a new type, 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).
Often a coronavirus causes upper respiratory infection symptoms like a stuffy nose, cough, and sore throat. You can treat them with rest and over-the-counter medication. The coronavirus can also cause middle ear infections in children.
‘A cause for caution — not for alarm’
The outbreak is believed to have started at a wholesale market in Wuhan, where vendors legally sold live animals, including wildlife, in close quarters, sparking debate about China’s game trade. “This is where you get new and emerging diseases that the human population has never seen before,” said Kevin J. Olival, a biologist and vice president of research with EcoHealth Alliance, a nonprofit research organisation.
In response to the contagion, China — still carrying the memory of SARS, the century’s first coronavirus to make the leap to humans, which killed nearly 800 people — has temporarily banned the sale of wild animals and effectively placed more than 35 million people on lockdown, blocking expressways and canceling all flights and trains out of the region.
But many experts say people in the United States shouldn’t panic. The virus is thought to be less lethal than both SARS and MERS, the last zoonotic coronavirus to infect humans, in 2012. And the vast majority of confirmed cases remain in mainland China.
“Make no mistake, this is an emergency in China. But it has not yet become a global health emergency,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director general of the World Health Organisation.
Although the outbreak is a “very serious public-health threat, the immediate risk to the U.S. public is low at this time,” Nancy Messonnier, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Immunisation and Respiratory Diseases, said Friday.
For perspective: The flu kills roughly 35,000 Americans every year. This season, it has already sickened an estimated 15 million Americans and killed 8,200, according to C.D.C. estimates.
Influenza kills more Americans every year than any other virus, Dr. Peter Hotez, a professor at Baylor College of Medicine…But the flu is rarely paid such attention, and fewer than half of adults get a vaccine.
“When we think about the relative danger of this new coronavirus and influenza, there’s just no comparison,” Dr. William Schaffner, a professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center says. “Coronavirus will be a blip on the horizon in comparison.”