The novel coronavirus outbreak, or COVID-19, has been declared a ‘pandemic’ by the World Health Organisation (WHO). It has spread across at least 124 countries, killing 4718 people and infecting almost 127863 since first detected in China in Dec last year Latest Update on Coronavirus.
12 March 2020
-All schools in Bangalore rural and urban will shut from tomorrow, news agency ANI has reported.
-Coronavirus cases in India rise to 74 -SC to decide on Friday whether to extend Holi break to next week or have limited functioning of courts to hear urgent matters only to limit possible exposure of Judges, lawyers and litigants to Covid-19
-All cinema halls to remain shut in Delhi till 31st March. Schools and colleges where exams are not being held will also remain closed: Kejriwal -Coronavirus tests are being conducted in 52 laboratories across the country with 56 collection centres put in place
-All existing visas to India stand suspended till April 15 except those issued for diplomatic, official, UN/international organisations, employment and project purpose
March. 2, 20202.
-With a new case being reported in Ghaziabad on Thursday, India's COVID number is now at 30.
-On Wednesday 23 new cases were reported, including 15 Italian tourists and a man in Gurgaon, even as the government decided to screen all passengers entering the country from abroad for the deadly virus.
-Imported food from coronavirus-hit nations safe; don't eat raw or undercooked meat: FSSAI
-Continuing the precautionary measures at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Mughal Gardens will be closed for public from March 7 to avoid any large gathering of people, in view of coronavirus.
-France reports two more coronavirus deaths, taking total to six
-Singapore reports five more coronavirus cases
- Jordan confirms first case of coronavirus
- The second U.S. death linked to COVID-19 has been reported in King County, Washington, after an infected man in his 70s with underlying health conditions died at EvergreenHealth hospital in Kirkland, just outside Seattle, The New York Times reported.
On January 9, 2020, the World Health Organization external icon reported that a novel (new) coronavirus had been preliminarily identified by Chinese authorities. The virus is associated with an outbreak of pneumonia in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. Patients reportedly have had fever, shortness of breath, and accumulation of fluid in the lungs detected by x-ray. No human infections with this virus have been identified in the United States. CDC is responding to this emerging public health issue.
Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.
Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people. Detailed investigations found that SARS-CoV was transmitted from civet cats to humans and MERS-CoV from dromedary camels to humans. Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans.
Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.
Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.
Symptoms
Common human coronaviruses
Common human coronaviruses, including types 229E, NL63, OC43, and HKU1, usually cause mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract illnesses, like the common cold. Most people get infected with these viruses at some point in their lives. These illnesses usually only last for a short amount of time. Symptoms may include
- runny nose
- headache
- cough
- sore throat
- fever
- a general feeling of being unwell
Human coronaviruses can sometimes cause lower-respiratory tract illnesses, such as pneumonia or bronchitis. This is more common in people with cardiopulmonary disease, people with weakened immune systems, infants, and older adults.