Corona Virus Text

Corona Virus Text About
Ensino Médio
escola Monsenhor Nora 2020

2019 nCov: what do we already know?
    In the last weeks of 2019, 4 patients sought hospitals in Wuhan, in the Chinese province of Hubei, with sneezing, dry cough, high fever and difficulty breathing. Diagnosis: a mysterious pneumonia with a hitherto unknown cause. Two weeks and 40 new cases later the cause was discovered: a new virus in the group of coronaviruses. Complicated family that had already caused some problems for humanity in the beginning of the 21st century. First with SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) in 2002 and with MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) in 2012. In addition to the same symptoms these diseases seem to share the origin: bats. When the extremely similar genetic materials of these three viruses were analyzed and compared with the viruses found in bats, the researchers observed striking similarities. However, the first human with SARS appears to have contracted a species of mammal called a civet cat. MERS, on the other hand, was transmitted to its first human host by a dromedary. And Wuhan coronavirus? How was it transmitted to humans? Well, to answer that question, scientists had the first cases in their hands: they all indicated the Huanan seafood market in Wuhan as their starting point. In this market the meat of animals such as chickens, civet cats is sold but no bats are sold. So, possibly, like its older cousins, the Wuhan coronavirus must have an intermediate animal. But this is still a mystery. What we already know is that the first contagion was not due to eating bat meat, this is another legend. The main characteristic of these viruses is the existence of proteins in their outer layer that make them resemble a crown of thorns. And it is these proteins that give this virus the ability to penetrate human lung cells and cause this damage that we are seeing. And that's not all: it probably won't be the last coronavirus to appear in the media. That's because, in China alone, there are 38 species of coronavirus. Of these, 22 species live in the organisms of several species of bats. In other words, in the coming decades, with the deforestation and urbanization of regions inhabited with these bats, we will be able to see the emergence of more and more diseases like this. The symptoms of this pneumonia include: difficulty in breathing, high fever, sneezing, dry cough and rare cases, diarrhea. Despite February 7, 31481 cases and 670 deaths were registered. A worldwide death rate of 2%. Much less than the most lethal cousins: in its day, SARS killed about 10% of those infected and MERS was destructive, reaching about 30% lethality. But make no mistake, the situation requires action and extra attention. This is because Wuhan coronavirus has a high dissemination power due to a peculiar characteristic: it can be transmitted in the interval of time that the person does not show symptoms. This makes it difficult to detect patients and quarantine, which facilitates contagion. To make matters worse, the virus is passed through the air. In addition, and like its predecessors, this virus seems to have a preference for elderly people with pre-existing cardiac and respiratory diseases, 80% of deaths are people over 60 years of age. The disease is already in 29 countries but does not include African or South American countries. This is due to the fact that there is not a large flow of people between China and these places. But European countries can be the bridge of transmission for the arrival of this virus in Brazilian lands. As with the 2019 measles outbreak. It only took one person to leave Europe with measles and land here in Brazil to have thousands of cases registered until July. It is best to follow the recommendations of washing your hands thoroughly with soap and alcohol, avoiding contact with people suspected of having the disease, if sick, avoid contact with the elderly and when coughing or sneezing, covering your mouth with cloths or with the inside of your mouth. elbow. The situation requires attention and care and that is why if we follow the recommendations and keep calm, we will come out of this even stronger to face the diversity that nature imposes on us.

Text written by Teacher Igor Rapp. Science Teacher from Monsenhor Nora
2020. Thanks so Much.