As of Monday, January 20, 2020, China has announced that a new type of coronavirus has appeared on its soil. Transmissible from human to human, this new virus is causing concern in the world. The videos of several medical personnel in full suits do not help the climate of fear that has reigned since the first case was discovered. Countries bordering China are beginning to prepare in case the virus spreads. Several cases have been listed on different continents, including one in the United States and Australia. Three days after the announcement of the first contamination, 17 deaths were announced by the Chinese authorities and more than 500 cases of infections recorded, figures which could be minimized. As a new WHO meeting takes place this Thursday, January 23, 2020, the whole world is waiting to learn more about this new disease and the consequences it could have.
Coronaviruses are a family with a large number of viruses that are transmitted in both humans and animals. Most human coronaviruses cause mild or moderate upper respiratory tract disease. The virus is transmitted by air, by direct contact with secretions or through a contaminated object.
On January 23, 2020 at 10 a.m. local time, the Chinese government announced that it was canceling the upcoming New Year celebrations in Beijing. They will therefore not take place in the capital of the Middle Kingdom. The Forbidden City is also closing its doors until further notice and these are not the only drastic measures taken in recent hours.
Two cities are thus under quarantine. Wuhan first, a city of 11 million inhabitants, presented as the heart of the epidemic, whose planes and trains are grounded. “Residents should not leave Wuhan without a specific reason,” the city authorities said. But also Huanggang, 7 million inhabitants, the city stopped the circulation of buses, trains and closed cinemas and Internet cafes.
According to Agnès Buzin, Minister of Health; as of January 23, 2020, no case has been diagnosed in France. "The health authorities are able to make a diagnosis in a few hours" according to the latter. She speaks following a crisis meeting that ended in the middle of the afternoon. As for the United States, all flights from China have been redirected to three airports with gates capable of detecting the temperature of passengers.
At this time, it is difficult to predict the magnitude or severity of this coronavirus. Several countries are working on a vaccine, the biggest fear being that the virus will mutate and its transmission will accelerate. Only time will tell and we will learn more about this disease.
