Wuhan virus: Singapore raises defenses to prevent outbreak

Singapore is taking all measures to ensure that there is no outbreak of the Wuhan virus in the region. A close relation of the SARS virus, this coronavirus is fast spreading across regions and countries.

Singapore is taking no chances following the scare over the mysterious Wuhan virus that is spreading in China. Emergency departments in all public hospitals in the country are on high alert to prevent any outbreak here. With the virus spreading from human to human, the scar over the virus reaching Singapore has also gone up.

Doctors here have instructions to call a given number if they come across any suspected cases. Special ambulances will then transport the patient to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID), where they will be placed in negative-pressure isolation rooms. Here, air flows only into the rooms, not out of them. The air filtration system of these rooms has high-efficiency particulate hepa filters that suck the air out. These hepa filters can clean 99.999 per cent of viruses. After this the air again goes through ultraviolet rays. Once the patient has been isolated, samples will be taken and sent to the laboratory for testing. In four and eight hours, the lab will be able to say if patient is infected with a coronavirus. A positive test will mean genetic sequencing to see if it is the Wuhan virus. The entire process takes around 24 hours.

About the virus

This is a new respiratory virus that had its origin in the Chinese province of Wuhan. It is a close relation of the SARS virus. It belongs to a family of viruses known as coronaviruses. The dangerous thing is that these viruses mutate easily. Though initially it spread from animals to humans, now it has taken on the form of human to human transmission.

Symptoms

All the symptoms of this diseases are similar to the symptoms exhibited by patients of pneumonia and respiratory ailments. Fever and cough are common symptoms. For a proper diagnosis, laboratory testing of samples is required.

Treatment options

There are no drugs as yet to treat the Wuhan virus. Some anti-virals may be effective in treating the infection. But there is no confirmation on this yet. But efforts are going on in full swing to find a vaccine at the earliest for this disease.