On 31 December 2019, World Health Organisation (WHO) was alerted to several cases of pneumonia in Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China.
The virus did not match any other known virus. This raised concern because when a virus is new, it is not known how it affects people.
The Coronavirus
One week later, on 7 January, Chinese authorities confirmed that they had identified a new virus. The new virus is a coronavirus, which is a family of viruses that include the common cold, and viruses such as SARS and MERS. This new virus was temporarily named “2019-nCoV.”
WHO has been working with Chinese authorities and global experts since the first day, to learn more about the virus, how it affects the people who are sick with it, how they can be treated, and what countries can do to respond.
Measures of precaution
Since coronavirus usually causes respiratory illness, WHO has advised people to reduce the general risk of acute respiratory infections while travelling in or from affected areas by:
a) Avoiding close contact with people suffering from acute respiratory infections
b) Frequent hand-washing, especially after direct contact with ill people or their environment
Steps:
c) Avoiding close contact with live or dead farm or wild animals
d) Travellers with symptoms of acute respiratory infection should practice cough etiquette (maintain distance, cover coughs and sneezes with disposable tissues or clothing, and wash hands)
PASAT TIP: wearing a disposable face mask is highly recommended
Important to get informed
Health practitioners and public health authorities should provide to travellers information to reduce the general risk of acute respiratory infections, via travel health clinics, travel agencies, conveyance operators and at points of entry.
More information on the coronavirus and developing situation are available from the WHO website: click here. The WHO’s advice for international travel and trade in relation to the outbreak, including precautions to be taken to reduce the risks when traveling, should be followed and details can be accessed by clicking here.
