What
is the
novel
coronavirus?
Coronaviruse
are a
large
family
of
viruses
that
can
cause
illness
ranging
from
the
common
cold
to
more
severe
diseases
like
Middle
East
Respiratory
Syndrome
(MERS)
and
Severe
Acute
Respiratory
Syndrome
(SARS).
The
2019
novel
coronavirus,
called
'SARS-
CoV-2' (previ
referred
to as
2019-
nCoV),
is a
new
strain
that
has
not
been
identified
in
humans
before.
On 11
February
2020,
WHO
formally
named
the
disease
caused
by
the
2019
novel
coronavirus
as
'COVID-19'.
The
acronym
stands
for
coronavirus
disease
2019,
as the
illness
was
first
detected
toward
the
end
of last
year.
Do
you
have
questions
about
the
2019
novel
coronavirus
Send
them
to
education@
and
topic
experts
will
address
them
in
the
upcoming
ERS /
PREPARE
Europe
webinars
focusing
on
COVID-19.
More
details
about
the
webinars
will
be
shared
soon.
Outbreak
summary:
where,
when
and
possible
source
On 31
December
2019,
the
World
Health
Organization
(WHO)
was
informed
of
several
cases
of
viral
pneumonia
of
unknown
cause
detected
in
Wuhan
City,
China.
COVID-19
patients
exhibited
respiratory
symptoms
such
as
fever,
cough,
shortness
of
breath
and
breathing
difficulties.
On 30
January
2020,
WHO
declared
the
SARS-
CoV-2
outbreak
to be
a
Public
Health
Emergency
of
International
Concern
(PHEIC).
Cases
of
COVID-19
have
been
reported
elsewhere
in
China
and in
25
other
countries
worldwide,
including
in the
regions
of
Asia,
Europe,
North
America,
UAE
and
Australia.
ERS
recommends
consulting
the
WHO's
situation
reports
for
the
latest
figures
on
confirmed
cases
and
the
geographic
spread
of
SARS-
CoV-2.
From
17
February
2020
WHO
began
reporting
all
confirmed
COVID-2019
cases,
including
both
laboratory-
confirmed
cases
and
cases
that
have
been
clinically
diagnosed.
Clinical
diagnoses
of
COVID-2019
were
not
previously
included
in the
WHO’s
situation
reports,
which
accounts
for
the
large
increase
in
case
numbers
compared
with
previous
WHO
reports.
How
is the
virus
transmitted?
The
WHO
reports
that
human-
to-
human
transmission
is
occurring
with a
preliminary
R0
estimate
of
1.4-2.5.
Current
estimates
of the
incubation
period
of the
virus
range
from
2–10
days,
but
more
information
about
the
mode
of
transmission
is
needed
to
confirm
this.
Experts
are
also
still
unclear
whether
transmission
can
occur
from
asymptomati
individuals
or
during
the
incubation
period.
To
prevent
the
spread
of the
novel
coronavirus,
the
public
should
follow
standard
infection
prevention
recommenda
including
regular
hand
washing,
covering
the
mouth
and
nose
when
coughing
and
sneezing,
and
thoroughly
cooking
meat
and
eggs.
Where
possible,
people
should
avoid
close
contact
with
persons
showing
symptoms
of
respiratory
illness,
including
coughing
and
sneezing.
What
is the
risk of
cases
in the
European
region?
So far
there
have
been
45
cases
and 1
death
due
to
COVID-19
reported
in the
EU/
EEA
and
the
UK,
including
14
locally-
acquired
cases
in
Germany,
7 in
France
and 1
in the
UK.
The
European
Centre
for
Disease
Prevention
and
Control
(ECDC)
say
that
due
to the
extensive
movement
of
people
and
the
fact
that
the
virus
is
transmitted
from
one
person
to
another,
it is
expected
that
further
cases
will
be
reported
in the
EU.
The
ECDC
report
that
the
probability
of:
transmis
in
the
EU/
EEA
and
the
UK
is
consider
to
be
very
low,
but
the
impact
of
sustained
transmis
in
the
EEA/
UK
would
be
high
among
elderly
populatio
with
comorbi
widespre
SARS-
CoV-2
infection
remains
low
during
the
2019–
2020
influenza
season,
but
if
there
was
a
significan
increase
in
COVID-1
cases
during
this
time,
the
impact
on
healthcar
systems
could
be
moderat
to
high.
If
people
with
COVID-19
are
tested
and
diagnosed
in a
timely
manner
and
rigorous
infection
control
measures
are
applied,
the
likelihood
of
further
human-
to-
human
transmission
in the
EU/
EEA
and
the
UK is
low.
Advice
for
healthcare
professionals
As
with
SARS
and
MERS,
when
dealing
with
suspected
COVID-19
cases,
health
professionals
should
follow
CDC
airborne
precautions
and
wear
respiratory
masks
(N95
or
higher)
during
intubation
and
when
entering
a
negative
pressure
room.
The
WHO
has
prepared
clinical
guidance
for
the
management
of
suspected
COVID-19
cases
and
technical
guidance
on
laboratory
testing
for
the
novel
coronavirus
in
humans: