Chinese Virus

Chinese Virus www.infralive.com 27 Infra LIVE April 15, 2020 (WHO) has officially named it as Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) for the 'disease' and “Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)”, for the 'virus'. Coronaviruses (CoVs) are a large family of viruses, several of which cause respiratory diseases in humans, from the common cold to more rare and serious diseases such as SARS and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). Both, SARS and MERS have high mortality rates and were detected for the first time in 2003 and 2012, respectively. SARS-CoV-2 belongs to a group of genetically related viruses that includes SARS-CoV and a number of other CoVs isolated from bat popula- tions. MERS-CoV also belongs to this group but is less closely related (please read box-A at pg 42-43 for details). India China has exported the virus to the world. In India, till February 29, 2020, three COVID-19 Posi- tive cases were reported. All the three cases had a travel history from Wuhan during January 2020. As on March 27, the figures touched 724 people, with about 100 new cases, of late, being reported every day (see graph at pg 31 and table at pg 34). Case-1 travelled from Wuhan, reached India on January 23 and further travelled to the final desti- nation of Kerala on January 24. This individual developed cough on January 25 and further experi- enced a sore throat and mild fever and was admitted to the General Hospital, Thrissur, Kerala. Case-2 travelled from Wuhan and had close contact with Case 1 during the travel to the final desti- nation in India. Case-2 developed similar symptoms along with fever and diarrhoea on January 26, and the collected TS specimens were referred to the ICMR-NIV on January 28. Case-2 was hospital- ized on January 30, in a medical college, Alappuzha, Kerala. The clinical sample (TS) was collected on January 31. Case-3 travelled from China to India, developed a runny nose on January 30 and was admitted to the General Hospital, Kasaragod, Kerala, on January 31. TS speci- mens were collected on January 31. The government has taken the threat very seriously as more num- ber of fresh cases of virus affected people are being reported. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a Janata Curfew (self- restrictions of staying at home) high risk. No information was coming out even in the local media. In the process, the Chinese put its own people also at risk. As on March 27, it had 81,427 virus affected people, out of which 3,300 died and 9,283 were still admitted in various hospitals across China. From Hubei province alone, the epicentre of the virus, the official numbers of affected people were 67,801 out of which 3,182 died and 8,418 people were still in hospitals, as on March 27. District wise details are given in table at pg 29. Most importantly, as on March 27, when the Chinese government claimed normalcy and resumed unrestricted operations in Wuhan city, 111 people were tested posi- tive, and 5 died. This was reported by the Chinese government to the World Health Organisation (WHO), but actual numbers may be several times more. If we look at the graphs (pg 26 & 35) of Chinese date wise report to WHO, we find that between January 6 to 16, they reported nil new cases, while the first death was reported on January 11. Given the scale of spread, it is highly unlikely that in this 11 day period, no fresh cases of virus infected people were found. The Chinese official spokesper- son started blaming the United States for the virus as if they had planted it in China. On the oppo- site side, some media reports suggested as if the Chinese gov- ernment were trying to make some mass destruction bioweapon. But, it was neither a botched up experiment by the Chinese mili- tary while making a chemical weapon nor an artificial virus planted by the United States in China. It has a natural animal origin and is not a manipulated or constructed virus. Most probably it has its ecological reservoir in bats. How it got into human, needs investigation. World Health organisation The Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in the city of Wuhan, China, where it is thought the coronavirus outbreak began.