New coronavirus similar to 2002 SARS outbreak: How deadly was the previous virus?

Based on their structural analyses, researchers predicted that the Wuhan coronavirus uses ACE2 as its host receptor, similar to SARS virus.

By: Longjam Dineshwori | | Updated: February 3, 2020 10:39 am

The outbreak has also spread to more than 25 countries and territories worldwide.

The novel coronavirus outbreak has so far killed 259 people in China, besides others worldwide. As of Saturday, the new coronavirus has infected a total of 11,791 people, mostly from China where it first emerged in December.

How deadly was the SARS outbreak?

Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause diseases ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. Wuhan coronavirus or nCoV-2019 is the latest member of this family (number seventh) and the most severe one. Other deadly viruses of this family include Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).

In late 2003, SARS-CoV first infected people in the Guangdong province of southern China and spread to more than two dozen countries, killing nearly 800. Following detailed investigations, researchers found that SARS-CoV transmitted from civet cats to humans. They assumed that civet cats got infected from bats – which are frequent carriers hosts of coronaviruses.

As per WHO report, transmission of SARS-CoV is primarily from person to person. The transmission occurred mainly during the second week of illness, when virus excretion in respiratory secretions and stool is at the peak. Lack of adequate infection control precautions led to more cases of human-to-human transmission in the health care setting. With the implementation of appropriate infection control practices, the global outbreak was finally brought to an end. No cases of SARS have been reported worldwide since 2004.

With inputs from IANS

Published : February 2, 2020 1:30 pm | Updated:February 3, 2020 10:39 am

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