Coronovirus, New SARS-Like Virus, Kills 9th Victim

A new virus infection named novel coronavirus (nCoV) is making the rounds primarily in the Middle East with some isolated cases in Europe. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported the ninth death in Saudi Arabia which has faced the most cases of this infection so far.

A 39-year-old man who got infected with this virus got admitted in the hospital on February 28 and died on March 2. The novel coronavirus comes from the same family as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), it is less contagious but much more deadly. About 60 percent of people who get ill with the novel coronavirus die from the infection, according to WHO.

Cases of the novel coronavirus infecting humans and making them ill have been reported in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Germany and the United Kingdom. In the latter country, it affected a family, one of the members of which had visited the Middle East and Pakistan. Symptoms related to nCoV include; acute severe respiratory illness, breathing problems, fever and shortness of breath. Almost all patients developed pneumonia and there were some reported cases of kidney failure.

WHO has reported a worldwide total of 15 confirmed cases of human infection with nCoV, including nine deaths. According to CNN, the virus infection is believed to have originated from bats, but it is still unclear that how is it reaching humans and how are they getting infected with it. The symptoms of this disease include severe respiratory illness, fever, coughing and breathing difficulties, and rapid kidney failure.

WHO urges member states to:

• Promptly assess and notify WHO regarding any new cases of human infection
• Provide data about potential exposures which may have caused the infection
• Provide a description of the clinical course in each case