The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak of the new Coronavirus a global emergency, as the outbreak continues to spread outside China. Here is everything you need to know about Coronavirus in South Africa.
What is Coronavirus?
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has defined Coronaviruses as “a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).”
The 2019 novel coronavirus - 2019-nCoV- has been identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China. Early on, many of the patients in the outbreak in Wuhan reportedly had some link to a large seafood and animal market, which suggested animal-to-person spread. However, a growing number of patients reportedly have not had exposure to animal markets, which indicates that person-to-person spread is occurring.
How is Coronavirus transmitted?
Since this Coronavirus was only recently identified, there is currently limited information regarding the modes of transmission. Human coronaviruses most commonly spread from an infected person to others through:
- The air by coughing and sneezing
- Close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands
- Touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes before washing your hands
- Rarely through faecal contamination
What is the risk of Coronavirus infection in humans in South Africa?
According to the NICD (National Institute for Communicable Diseases) on 5 March 2020, the first case of COVID-19 has been confirmed in South Africa. People who develop symptoms of respiratory illness including cough, fever and shortness of breath within 14 days of travel to countries where Coronavirus is known to be circulating should seek medical care early and share information about travel history with their doctors.
Who is at risk for Coronavirus?
According to the NICD, travellers to Wuhan, China and other affected areas of China are at greatest risk of infection with Coronavirus. Please consult the latest guidance for information on which countries are experiencing outbreaks of 2019-nCoV. Information can be accessed here.
What are the signs and symptoms of Coronavirus infection in humans?
Current symptoms reported for patients with Coronavirus have included mild to severe respiratory illness with fever, cough, and difficulty breathing. Reported illnesses have ranged from infected people with little to no symptoms to people being severely ill and dying. It appears that patients with underlying illness and the elderly appear to be at increased risk of severe illness.
