The entire world was literally consumed by the outbreak of what was known as coronavirus or covid -19 pandemic, this year. The pandemic caused fear and panic. It destroyed the global economy as virtually all businesses were shutdown. Banks and all corporate institutions were closed.
All financial as well as private businesses were forced to close. Shops, open and closed markets operations were abandoned. International and local flight operations were stopped, and so airports and sea ports were equally not functional. Sporting activities, in fact, all the major and minor league competitions ended abruptly.
The Olympics did not hold. National and international festivals were placed on hold. Social, spiritual and cultural events were banned. As a matter of fact, Coronavirus brought the world to its knees. At the time of this report, a total of 72,196,732 cases of coronavirus had been confirmed. 1,630, 521 deaths recorded, while 220 countries or territories are affected by the deadly virus.
According to a published report, ‘many health experts believe that the new strain of coronavirus likely originated in bats or pangolins. The first transmission to humans was in Wuhan, China. Since then, the virus has mostly spread through person-to-person contact.
Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that can cause disease in both animals and humans. The Severe Accute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus strain known as SARS-CoV is an example of a coronavirus. SARS spread rapidly in 2002–2003. The new strain of coronavirus is called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus causes coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19)’.
What caused coronavirus?
The World Health Organization, WHO, says ‘The recent outbreak began in Wuhan, a city in the Hubei province of China. Reports of the first COVID-19 cases started in December 2019. Coronaviruses are common in certain species of animals, such as cattle and camels.
Although the transmission of coronaviruses from animals to humans is rare, this new strain likely came from bats, though one study suggests pangolin may be the origin. However, it remains unclear exactly how the virus first spread to humans’. Sadly, notable Nigerians died of the pandemic, including Abba Kyari, former chief of staff to President Buhari.
Some reports trace the earliest cases back to a seafood and animal market in Wuhan. It may have been from here that SARS-CoV-2 started to spread to humans.
The CDC recommend that people wear cloth face masks in public places where it is difficult to maintain physical distancing. This will help slow the spread of the virus from people who do not know that they have contracted it, including those who are asymptomatic. People should wear cloth face masks while continuing to practice physical distancing.
How it spreads
SARS-CoV-2 spreads from person to person through close communities. When people with COVID-19 breathe out or cough, they expel tiny droplets that contain the virus. These droplets can enter the mouth or nose of someone without the virus, causing an infection to occur.
The most common way that this illness spreads is through close contact with someone who has the infection. Close contact is within around 6 feet.
The disease is most contagious when a person’s symptoms are at their peak. However it is possible for someone without symptoms to spread the virus. A new study suggests that 10% of infections are from people exhibiting no symptoms.
Droplets containing the virus can also land on nearby surfaces or objects. Other people can pick up the virus by touching these surfaces or objects. Infection is likely if the person then touches their nose, eyes, or mouth. It is important to note that COVID-19 is new, and research is still ongoing. There may also be other ways that the new coronavirus can spread.
Most cases of COVID-19 are not serious. However, it can cause symptoms that become severe, leading to death in some cases. The outbreak of COVID-19 has been sudden. This makes it difficult to estimate how often the disease becomes severe or the exact rate of mortality.
One report suggests that out of 1,099 people with confirmed cases in China, around 16% became severe. Another report estimates that about 3.6% of the confirmed cases in China led to death. These figures are likely to change as the situation evolves. However, they suggest that COVID-19 is more deadly than influenza. For example, seasonal influenza typically leads to death in less than 0.1% of cases.
When testing becomes easier and more widespread, health experts will have a more accurate insight into the exact number of severe cases and deaths. SARS is another type of coronavirus. It became a global pandemic in 2002–2003. Around 9.6% of SARS cases led to death. However, COVID-19 is more contagious, and it is already the cause of more deaths worldwide.
