Wuhan Coronavirus continues to expand. According to New York Times January 28, 2020, Coronavirus cases are up nearly 60 percent overnight. Chinese health officials reported thousands of infections. As the virus reportedly spreading from person-to-person health officials are trying to estimate how easily the virus is passed between people. In addition, there are efforts underway to determine whether those without symptoms can spread it. Since there is some evidence that it may take up to 5 days for symptoms to express.
While it is not clear how this virus spreads, coronaviruses usually spread through droplets containing large particles that typically can only be suspended in the air for up to six feet before dissipating. Some coronaviruses also have been found in the stool of certain individuals. Coughs or sneezes from an infected person may spread the virus.
Public health officials are trying to determine how many people one person with the virus could infect (known as R0). R0 is a mathematical term that indicates how contagious an infectious disease is. It’s also referred to as the reproduction number. If a disease has an R0 of 2, a person who has the disease may transmit it to an average of 2 other people. An R0 higher than 1 means that countermeasures, such as quarantine, will be needed to contain the spread.
On January 27, 2020 WHO (World Health Organization) estimated R0 of 1.4 to 2.5. Other organizations have higher estimates. While these estimates are similar to the R0 of SARS and H1N1 influenza, it is important to recognize that R0 estimates have sizable margins of error due to varying assumptions and data availability. Wuhan coronavirus outbreak is an emerging and rapidly evolving situation, as the control measures are implemented R0 estimates will change.
Another question surrounding the virus’s spread is whether people without symptoms can infect others. A study of a cluster of five infections in a family in Shenzhen identified a child who was infected with the virus but did not show any symptoms. If asymptomatic cases are common, -individuals without symptoms spreading the virus, then it could be much more difficult to control the spread.
Fortunately, public health officials in many countries, including the US, have put measures in place to help prevent further spread of the virus. These measures include health screenings at major airports in the US for people traveling from Wuhan. In China, travel restrictions are in effect.
Fitgenetix is proud of its large Chinese following and customer base. Given the latest concerns about the spread of Wuhan coronavirus. We are curating up-to-date information from credible sources about the virus in English and in Mandarin. If you have specific questions, please contact support@fitgenetix.com
Stay tuned for further updates!
