The symptoms of the 2019-nCoV vary from minimal to extremely serious. At the onset, the patient may experience fever, cough, and shortness of breath. The Novel Coronavirus we are experiencing is part of a family causing bronchial infections. These range from common colds to viral pneumonia. If isolation fails to stop Novel Coronavirus we need to know what happens next.
If We Can’t Stop 2019-nCoV We Have to Learn to Live with It
Sharon Begley writes on life science topics for Yale Scientific Magazine and Boston Globe Stat. She notes the virus has reached four continents, and is traveling even faster than SARS Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. She envisages two possible outcomes, if quarantines and travel bans don’t halt the Novel Coronavirus outbreak.
If isolation fails to stop Novel Coronavirus then we must learn to live with it as we do the other four strains, she says. The current four are already part of the winter-spring seasonal respiratory disease cycle, explains Stephen Morse. He is a leading infectious-disease specialist at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.
Two Scenarios If Isolation Fails to Stop Novel Coronavirus
The four established strains of corona virus are less dramatic compared to seasonal flu, Stephen Morse explains. They are most likely to cause common cold symptoms; in fact they are behind 25% of actual colds. Richard Webley of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital thinks Novel Coronavirus will become part of life.
While it true it can lead to pneumonia and even death, it’s far more likely to cause runny noses, coughs, and congestion. However, it could also appear seasonally, and fade away almost completely at other times. We know the other strains prefer the cooler conditions of winter and spring and seem to hibernate in warm weather.
Whatever the outcome may be, Sharon Begley believes mortality will be below 2% if isolation fails to stop Novel Coronavirus. That’s because not all mild cases are known to health professionals and government authorities.
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Preview Image: 2019-nCoV Corona Virus Epidemic
