CORONAVIRUS: HERE ARE ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

In recent news, at least 17 people have died from a new coronavirus in China, all in Hubei Province, following an outbreak in the central city of Wuhan, and more than 550 cases have been reported globally. Most cases are in China, where more infections have been confirmed in recent days.

Beyond China, Thailand has reported four cases, while South Korea, Taiwan, Japan and the United States have each confirmed one.

All the cases involve people who had either come from Wuhan or been there recently.

A novel coronavirus, identified by Chinese authorities on January 7 and currently named 2019-nCoV, is a new strain that had not been previously identified in humans. The World Health Organization (WHO) named the new coronavirus 2019-nCoV. The pathogen responsible for this pandemic is a new coronavirus. It's in the same family of viruses as the well-known severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), which have killed hundreds of people in the past 17 years.

Unfortunately, there is no approved vaccine or antiviral treatment available for coronavirus infection. A better understanding of the life cycle of 2019-nCoV, including the source of the virus, how it is transmitted and how it replicates are needed to both prevent and treat the disease.

Here are All You Need to Know

What is a Coronavirus?

The name of coronavirus comes from its shape, which resembles a crown or solar corona when imaged using an electron microscope.

According to the World Health Organization, coronaviruses are a 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).

Mode of Transmission

These viruses are transmitted between animals and people. SARS, for instance, was believed to have been transmitted from civet cats to humans while MERS travelled from a type of camel to humans.

Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans, human-to-human transmission has been confirmed.

Field studies have revealed that the original source of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV is the bat, and that the masked palm civets (a mammal native to Asia and Africa) and camels, respectively, served as intermediate hosts between bats and humans.

In the case of this 2019 coronavirus outbreak, reports state that most of the first group of patients hospitalized were workers or customers at a local seafood wholesale market which also sold processed meats and live consumable animals including poultry, donkeys, sheep, pigs, camels, foxes, badgers, bamboo rats, hedgehogs and reptiles. However, since no one has ever reported finding a coronavirus infecting aquatic animals, it is plausible that the coronavirus may have originated from other animals sold in that market.

What are the symptoms?

According to the WHO, signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.

In more severe cases, it can lead to pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.

How deadly is it?

Some experts say it may not be as deadly as other types of coronavirus such as SARS, which killed nearly 800 people worldwide during a 2002-2003 break that also originated from China.

MERS, which did not spread as widely, was more deadly, killing a third of those it infected.

What is being done to stop it spreading?


There is no vaccine for the new virus.

Chinese authorities effectively sealed off Wuhan on Thursday, suspending flights and trains out of the city and telling residents they could not leave without a special reason, state media said.

The move, effective at 10am (02:00 GMT), 23rd January, is meant to "resolutely contain the momentum of the epidemic spreading" and protect lives, the central city's special command centre against the virus said, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

Chinese authorities have stepped up monitoring and disinfection efforts ahead of the Lunar New Year break, which formally starts on Friday and is when many of the country's 1.4 billion people will travel domestically and overseas.

Airport authorities across Asia, including Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea and Malaysia quickly stepped up screening of passengers from Wuhan.

In Europe, the United Kingdom and Italy have said they will introduce enhanced monitoring of flights from Wuhan, while Romania and Russia are also strengthening checks.

Some airports in the United States have also begun checks.

Where did the virus originate?

Chinese health authorities are still trying to determine the origin of the virus, which they say came from a seafood market in Wuhan where wildlife was also traded illegally. The WHO also says an animal source appears most likely to be the primary source of the outbreak.

There is evidence of respiratory transmission of the virus from patient to patient and Chinese authorities have also said 15 medical staff in the country have been infected.

Experts particularly worry when health workers get sick during new outbreaks because this can suggest the disease is becoming more transmissible and because spread in hospitals can often amplify the epidemic.

Nigeria’s preparedness and response

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is currently coordinating a multisectoral technical group that is assessing and managing the risk of importation to Nigeria. NCDC is in close communication with the World Health Organization (WHO) who is closely monitoring the situation globally. WHO is in direct communication with the Government of China and other affected countries, and has released technical and travel guidance.

The Port Health Services unit of the Federal Ministry of Health in Nigeria has been placed on alert and has heightened screening measures at the points of entry. Nigerians are advised to remain calm. Travelers from Nigeria to Wuhan, China, are advised to avoid contact with sick people, animals (alive or dead), and animal markets. Travelers from Wuhan to Nigeria, may be asked questions upon arrival by the Port Health Services unit at points of entry about symptoms of illness and travel history, and are advised to report immediately to NCDC if they feel ill after a trip to Wuhan.

The Federal Ministry of Health through NCDC and its partners are fully committed to strengthening our preparedness and response to infectious disease outbreaks. Information will be shared with the public as it becomes available.

What next?

On Thursday, 24th January, the WHO is expected to announce its decision on whether to declare a global public health emergency in relation to the new coronavirus.

How to protect yourself?

To reduce the risk of spread of coronavirus, members of the public are advised to adhere to the following measures:

•        Wash your hands regularly with soap under running water.

•        Cover your mouth and nose properly with handkerchief or tissue paper when sneezing and/or coughing. You may also cough into your elbow if a handkerchief is not available.

•        Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.

•        Avoid self-medication, report to the nearest health facility when you experience any of the above-mentioned symptoms.

•        Healthcare workers are always advised to observe standard infection prevention and control measures when attending to patients and take a travel history.

The 2019-nCoV outbreak is another reminder that people should limit the consumption of wild animals to prevent zoonotic infections. Meaning they are normally transmitted between animals and people.

Sources: CNN, Aljazera, NCDC

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STILL ON PNEUMONIA - TYPES, COMPLICATION, PREVENTION AND TREATMENT

In our previous write up on Pneumonia, we have talked about what pneumonia is, causes of pneumonia, signs and symptoms of pneumonia and how pneumonia is transmitted.

In this concluding part, we will be focussing on Types & Classification of Pneumonia, Prevention and Treatment of Pneumonia.

This is going to be a long, informative and interesting write up, make sure you read patiently to the end.

Types And Classifications of Pneumonia

Pneumonia can be classified in several ways, most commonly by where it was acquired (hospital versus community), but may also by the area of lung affected or by the causative organism. There is also a combined clinical classification, which combines factors such as age, risk factors for certain microorganisms, the presence of underlying lung disease or systemic disease and whether the person has recently been hospitalized.

Doctors classify different types of pneumonia into various groups. This allows them to describe the disease more exactly, and more importantly, to start off with the correct treatment.

Experts also classify pneumonia according to factors other than where the patient was infected and the severity. But that typically doesn't affect how the pneumonia is treated. Instead, it's useful for getting a better description of the illness.

The various types of pneumonia are classified according to a number of characteristics. To treat these types, it's essential to know whether somebody caught pneumonia at home, in a hospital, or in a nursing home.

Community - Aquired and Nosocomial Pneumonia

If you develop pneumonia at home, it's referred to as community-acquired pneumonia (or CAP for short), even if you are admitted to the hospital during the course of the illness.

If you develop pneumonia while in the hospital, it is called hospital-acquired (HAP for short) or nocosomial pneumonia. Pneumonia is considered to be nocosomial if it starts at least two days after you are admitted to the hospital, or within three months of a hospital stay.

Doctors can also classify pneumonia even more exactly, giving consideration to whether somebody became infected in a retirement or a nursing home, at a medical facility such as a dialysis center, or while receiving artificial respiration.

Mild, moderate or severe pneumonia

To be able to provide the right treatment, doctors also classify community-acquired pneumonia as mild, moderate or severe. They take the risk of complications into account as well.

Pneumonia is considered to be mild with no increased risk if the patient

√ Is younger than 65 years old,
√ Is conscious and lucid,
√ has normal blood pressure and pulse,
√ is not breathing too fast (fewer than 30 breaths per minute),
√ has enough oxygen in their blood,
√ has not been given any antibiotics in the past three months,
√ has not been in the hospital in the past three months, and
√ does not have any other severe medical conditions.

People with mild pneumonia can be treated at home and are given antibiotics in tablet form.

The signs of moderate pneumonia include drowsiness and confusion, low blood pressure, worsening shortness of breath, and risk factors such as old age and underlying diseases. People with these symptoms need to have treatment at a hospital. Some will be given a combination of two different antibiotics, at least at the beginning of the treatment.

Pneumonia is classified as severe when the heart, the kidneys or the circulatory system are at risk of failing, or if the lungs can no longer take in enough oxygen. Treatment with an antibiotic infusion in intensive care is then usually needed, sometimes with artificial respiration or additional drugs such as corticosteroids.

Pneumonia in children is only classified as either “not severe” or “severe.”

Atypical or Walking Pneumonia

Typical pneumonia generally begins with a sudden high fever and chills, and then coughing with phlegm coming later.

Atypical pneumonia is caused by other germs, which are also referred to as "atypical." Older people in particular have fewer or slightly different symptoms if they have atypical pneumonia: It then starts off rather slowly with a mild fever and/or headache and aching limbs. Rather than coughing with phlegm, they have a dry, tickly cough.

Atypical symptoms don't mean that the lungs are less severely inflamed or that the disease will take a milder course though.
Atypical pneumonia is also called walking pneumonia. This non-medical term has become a popular description because you may feel well enough to be walking around, carrying out your daily tasks and not even realize you have pneumonia.

Upper, middle and lower lobe pneumonia

X-rays play an important role in distinguishing between these types: the term lobar pneumonia is used if an entire lung lobe is visibly inflamed. Depending on which lung lobe is affected, the pneumonia is referred to as upper, middle or lower lobe pneumonia.

If there are several multi-lobe focal inflammations in the lungs, the term focal pneumonia is used. Some people use the term bronchopneumonia if the focal inflammations started in inflamed airways (bronchi).

Sometimes, it's the air sacs that are more inflamed (alveolar pneumonia), and sometimes it's the tissue between the sacs (interstitial pneumonia).

Complications of Pneumonia

Even with treatment, some people with pneumonia, especially those in high-risk groups, may experience complications, including:

•Bacteria in the bloodstream (bacteremia). Bacteria that enter the bloodstream from your lungs can spread the infection to other organs, potentially causing organ failure.

•Difficulty breathing. If your pneumonia is severe or you have chronic underlying lung diseases, you may have trouble breathing in enough oxygen. You may need to be hospitalized and use a breathing machine (ventilator) while your lung heals.

•Fluid accumulation around the lungs (pleural effusion). Pneumonia may cause fluid to build up in the thin space between layers of tissue that line the lungs and chest cavity (pleura). If the fluid becomes infected, you may need to have it drained through a chest tube or removed with surgery.

•Lung abscess. An abscess occurs if pus forms in a cavity in the lung. An abscess is usually treated with antibiotics. Sometimes, surgery or drainage with a long needle or tube placed into the abscess is needed to remove the pus.


Prevention of Pneumonia

This is how to help prevent pneumonia:

(1). Get vaccinated
Vaccines are available to prevent some types of pneumonia and the flu. Talk with your doctor about getting these shots. The vaccination guidelines have changed over time so make sure to review your vaccination status with your doctor even if you recall previously receiving a pneumonia vaccine.

(2). Make sure children get vaccinated. Doctors recommend a different pneumonia vaccine for children younger than age 2 and for children ages 2 to 5 years who are at particular risk of pneumococcal disease. Children who attend a group child care center should also get the vaccine. Doctors also recommend flu shots for children older than 6 months.

(3). Practice good hygiene
To protect yourself against respiratory infections that sometimes lead to pneumonia, wash your hands regularly or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

(4). Don't smoke
Smoking damages your lungs' natural defenses against respiratory infections.

(5). Keep your immune system strong.
Get enough sleep, exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet.

Why is classification important for the treatment?

Community-acquired pneumonia is usually caused by pneumococci, whereas nocosomial pneumonia is often connected with staphylococci, various intestinal bacteria, and special germs such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Some of those bacteria can be multi-resistant, meaning they are resistant to several antibiotics. That is why different antibiotics are usually need than for treating community-acquired pneumonia.

Treatment

Treatment for pneumonia involves curing the infection and preventing complications. People who have community-acquired pneumonia usually can be treated at home with medication. Although most symptoms ease in a few days or weeks, the feeling of tiredness can persist for a month or more.

Specific treatments depend on the type and severity of your pneumonia, your age and your overall health. The options include:

Antibiotics. These medicines are used to treat bacterial pneumonia. It may take time to identify the type of bacteria causing your pneumonia and to choose the best antibiotic to treat it. If your symptoms don't improve, your doctor or pharmacist may recommend a different antibiotic.

Cough medicine. This medicine may be used to calm your cough so that you can rest. Because coughing helps loosen and move fluid from your lungs, it's a good idea not to eliminate your cough completely. In addition, you should know that very few studies have looked at whether over-the-counter cough medicines lessen coughing caused by pneumonia. If you want to try a cough suppressant, use the lowest dose that helps you rest.

Fever reducers/pain relievers. You may take these as needed for fever and discomfort. Consult your Doctor and Pharmacist for pain relievet.


Hospitalization

You may need to be hospitalized if:

You are older than age 65
You are confused about time, people or places
Your kidney function has declined
Your systolic blood pressure is below 90 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) or your diastolic blood pressure is 60 mm Hg or below
Your breathing is rapid (30 breaths or more a minute)
You need breathing assistance
Your temperature is below normal
Your heart rate is below 50 or above 100
You may be admitted to the intensive care unit if you need to be placed on a breathing machine (ventilator) or if your symptoms are severe.

Children may be hospitalized if:

They are younger than age 2 months
They are lethargic or excessively sleepy
They have trouble breathing
They have low blood oxygen levels
They appear dehydrated

We have come to end of our awareness on Pneumonia, trust this help you..

You can also read our write up on Typhoid, its causes, signs and symptoms, prevention, complications, prevention and treatment.

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