Novel Coronavirus: What is it, where did it come from and just how dangerous is it?

According to Wikipedia the definition of novel coronavirus is, "any recently discovered virus of medical significance not yet permanently named. Today it has a name, SARS-CoV-2.

SARS-CoV-2 initially broke out in Wuhan, China and was reported to the World Health Organization December 31, 2019. It has been discovered to potentially have originated in bats, and was likely transferred to humans through an intermediate host (more than likely mammal), a wild animal, sold illegally at the seafood market in Wuhan.

What does this virus, that has brought life to a screeching halt worldwide, look like and why is it so deadly? It's nothing more than a ball of genetic material surrounded by a spiky protein shell one-thousandth of the width of an eyelash.

Outside the body, SARS-CoV-2 shows little evidence of metabolism, motion or the ability to reproduce, but once introduced to the human airway the virus uses its spikes to grab and hold onto our cells while the proteins unlock them, enabling them to enter. It then hijacks the cells of our molecular machinery which enables it to reproduce and make 10,000 copies of itself in a matter or hours.

This disease is deadly because:

• It's completely new. Since it's something humans have never encountered before, we have no natural immunity towards it and our bodies don't know how to fight it.

• It evolves quickly, with the ability to change and adapt to new environments, making the medications that have been discovered not work for very long.

• It is highly contagious. After a cough or sneeze it has the potential to be infectious in the air for up to three hours, on cardboard for up to 24-hours and on plastic or stainless steel for up to three days.

• A human can be asymptomatic up to 14 days before symptoms start, or never show symptoms at all and still be a carrier of the disease and contagious.

"Sugars dot the the outside of the spike, just like sugars dot the outside of regular human cells," said David Veesler, a structural biologist at the University of Washington, who led a team that visualized and published a March 19 paper on the SARS-CoV-2 spike. This carbohydrate camouflage makes it harder for the human immune system to recognize.

Coronavirus True vs. False:

• A vaccine to prevent COVID-19 is available. False

True - There is no vaccine for the new coronavirus right now. Scientists have already begun working on one, but developing a vaccine that is safe and effective in human beings will take many months.

• You can protect yourself from COVID-19 by swallowing or gargling with bleach, taking acetic acid or steroids, or using essential oils, salt water, ethanol or other substances. - False

True - None of these recommendations protects you from getting COVID-19 and some may be dangerous. The best ways to protect against this coronavirus (and other viruses) include:

• Washing your hands frequently and thoroughly, using soap and hot water.

• Avoiding close contact with people who are sick, sneezing or coughing.

• Avoiding the spread of germs by coughing into the crook of your elbow and staying home when you are sick.

• Practicing social distancing and avoiding contact with people by maintaining a distance from them of six feet; using an elbow bump instead of shaking hands.

• The novel coronavirus was deliberately created and/or released by people. - False

True - Viruses can change over time. Occasionally, a disease outbreak happens when a virus mutates and jumps from an animal, such as a pig, bat or bird, to humans.

• A face mask will protect you from SARS-CoV-2. - False

True - For the general public without respiratory illness, wearing lightweight disposable surgical masks is not recommended. Because they don't fit tightly, they may allow tiny infected droplets to get into the nose, mouth or eyes. Also, people with the virus on their hands who touch their face under a mask might become infected.

Certain models of professional, tight-fitting respirators (such as the N95) can protect health care workers as they care for infected patients. People with a respiratory illness can also wear these masks to lessen their chance of infecting others. Bear in mind that stocking up on masks makes fewer available for sick patients and health care workers who need them.

Sources

https://academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciaa112/5721420#199611650

David Veesler:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092867420302622

True & False

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/2019-novel-coronavirus-myth-versus-fact