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posed extensive lockdowns and travel
bans. This way, they’ve essentially ring-
fenced 13 cities in a bid to contain the
virus as the country prepared to cele-
brate Chinese New Year – the busiest
travel time of the year.
In these cities the wearing of face
masks is now mandatory in public plac-
es and major tourist destinations such as
Beijing’s Forbidden City and Shanghai
Disneyland were closed to stop the dis-
ease spreading.
Despite all these measures, it’s thought
that as many as five million people could
have left Wuhan before the travel ban,
spreading the virus to other parts of
China and beyond. For instance, it’s
emerged that for nine days 15 under-
graduate students from Wuhan College
mingled in student bars and clubs in
Cambridge, England, stoking fears the vi-
rus might have already spread to the UK.
Whichcountrieshavereportedcasesof
thevirus?
TOP LEFT: Officials in Macau screen passengers on an Air China flight. TOP RIGHT: Inadditiontothemorethan2700infec-
Thai commuters wear medical masks aboard a train in Bangkok. ABOVE: Medics in full tionsinChinatherewerealsoconfirmed
protective gear treat a suspected coronavirus patient at Wuhan’s Jinyintan Hospital. cases in Australia (5), Japan (3), France
(3) and the US (4) at the time of going to
print – all travellers from Wuhan.
Whyarehealthofficialssoworried? impossible to contain. There was also one unconfirmed case
Antibiotics, which combat bacterial in- in Ivory Coast involving a woman from
fections, are of no use when it comes to Howisittreated? Beijing who was undergoing tests after
combating a virus. The disease simply Astherearecurrentlynodrugsthatcom- showing symptoms of the virus.
has to run its course. batthisvirus,allhospitalscandoisoffer
Based on early figures, it’s evident supportive care. Oxygen may be admin- IsSouthAfricaready?
around 3% of people who contract the istered to patients struggling to breathe The National Institute for Communica-
virus will die, with elderly or sickly pa- or,inextremecases,ventilatorscouldbe bleDiseases(NICD)reportednocasesof
tientsparticularlyatrisk.Ifyoucompare used to drive air into the lungs. 2019-nCoVinSouthAfricaatthetimeof
this to seasonal flu, which causes about going to print.
400 000 deaths each year globally – so a Whatstepsarebeingtakentohaltthe The health department announced
1% mortality rate – it’s understandable spreadofthevirus? there will be increased monitoring of
the virus is sparking panic. Scientistsarealreadyhardatworktrying travellers at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo
Makingitevenmorefrighteningisthe to create a vaccine, but this could take International Airport, which is the only
factthatexpertsareatalossforanswers. months. port of entry for direct flights from Asia.
When the virus started spreading, it Meanwhile, China is preparing for the With the Sars virus, SA got off pretty
wasthoughtthatinordertocontractthe worst.Astheinfectionrateclimbed,con- lightly – with only one confirmed case –
GALLO IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES, GALLO IMAGES/AFP, HANDOUT/REUTERS diseaseyouneededtohaveclosecontact
but it remains to be seen what happens
withaninfectedperson,suchashugging Cities have started with this new strain.
or sharing utensils. But now it seems it’s to resemble
far more infectious than was initially in- Whatcanyoudotoprotectyourself?
dicated. ghost towns As with most viruses, the usual rules
There’s also the risk that as it spreads, apply. Wash your hands often and avoid
theviruscouldmutateandbecomeeven struction was already in full swing for a coming into close contact with people
more potent. new1000-bedhospitalinWuhan,which who display flu-like symptoms.
Even though it’s early days, it seems wasexpectedtobecompletedinsixdays Right now there’s no need to panic.
likely it will infect far more people than – a record even for China. Unlessyou’verecentlytravelledtoChina
theSarsvirusdid.UnlikewithSars,peo- In 2002 the country was criticised for or been in contact with an infected
ple can start infecting others before the slow way it reacted to the Sars virus. person, you aren’t at risk. S
showing any symptoms of being ill. Eager to avoid the same thing happen-
This means the virus will be almost ing, the Chinese government has im- SOURCES: GUARDIAN.CO.UK, LIVESCIENCE.COM, DAILYMAIL.
CO.UK,TELEGRAPH.CO.UK
you.co.za 6 FEBRUARY 2020 | 15
