Health Advisory on Human Coronaviruses

Human coronaviruses are common throughout the world. Seven different coronaviruses, that scientists know of, can infect people and make them sick. Some human coronaviruses were identified many years ago and some have been identified recently. Human coronaviruses commonly cause mild to moderate illness in people worldwide. Two newer human coronaviruses, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV, have been known to frequently cause severe illness. (Center for Disease Control & Prevention)

On December 31, 2019, a clustering of pneumonia cases of unknown etiology was reported in Wuhan, China. The outbreak was later determined to be caused by a 2019-nCoV, a new coronavirus strain that has not been previously identified in humans. To date, two hundred twenty-two (222) 2019 nCoV cases were reported in China, majority coming from Wuhan, with cases also coming from cities such as Beijing and Shenzhen. Thailand, Japan, and South Korea also reported confirmed cases. Initially, the said disease was thought to be transmitted through animal contact but recent reports show human-to-human transmission of 2019-nCoV. (Department of Health)

Symptoms

1. Respiratory symptoms
2. Fever
3. Cough
4. Shortness of breath
5. Breathing difficulties

Ways to Prevent

1. practice frequent hand-washing
2. avoid unprotected contact with farm or wild animals
3. practice proper cough etiquette – maintain distance and cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or the crook of your elbow
4. avoid close contact with people showing cold or flu-like symptoms
5. ensure that food is well-cooked.