Fictional horror to reality? The Coronavirus!

Fictional horror to reality? The Coronavirus!

Rooting from china, it has now spread to 20 different countries including Australia, US, Japan, South Korea, UAE, India, Canada, Malaysia, Vietnam. With total 11,952 confirmed cases, it has brought death to 259 people and it only took them 14 days from recognizing symptoms to meeting death.

The fictional horror of zombie apocalypse’s turmoil with no medical treatment has recently become a reality in China. The infection which causes basic illness like fever, coughing but to so extreme that it has killed more than 200 people in china alone and still counting. It is caused by Novel coronavirus whose first case was reported in Wuhan, China. The source is believed to be the sea food market, Wuhan Huanan in China.

Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.  

Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, runny nose, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.

This situation has become alarming because it's so newly discovered disease that it doesn't even have any treatment yet. Moreover, it affects young children and old people: the people with weak immune system. Hence, the patients with heart diseases or cancer are at the greater risk. But the red flag about it is its mode of transmission. It is transmitted from one patient to another through air. So, basically whenever a person carrying virus sneezes near you or breathes closer to you, you're at the risk of getting the virus! Now the question arises, how to recognize this virus and what precautions should be taken to prevent it?

There are currently neither any treatment nor vaccinations available for it. Hence, it cannot be treated and only prevented which is by regularly washing hands, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. Avoiding close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.

Fortunately, Pakistan is still safe from this infection but for how long? Considering all the threat, Pakistan’s government has temporarily delayed every form of transport from and to china, including the flights which has left almost 30,000 Pakistani students stranded in china, away from their families. Among them, 500 are reportedly affected by this virus and being treated there.  

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization has considered it a global health emergency and whole world is under threat, china has started making its efforts to create the treatment for it with many doctors risking their lives by bravely volunteering for it, but it will take them time before they can create any treatment for it and the question here arises: How many more deaths it will take?