More and more dangerous virus with a crown - Gazeta Wyborcza - Gazeta Wyborcza

The World Health Organization has warned that a new coronavirus most likely to spread from human to human

WHO issued a warning after the French health minister has confirmed information that another patient – a 50-year-old man – probably infected by a new virus of the family Coronaviridae from another patient (65-year-old, who recently returned from Dubai).

New microbe called shortly NCoV (from novel coronavirus) is also responsible for the deaths of two other men – citizens of Saudi Arabia. A total of 2012 due to infection NCoV 18 people have died and the number of infected reached 34 They were the people of Europe (France, Germany and the UK) and the Middle East (Saudi Arabia and Jordan).

WHO emphasizes that if there is no indication that the new virus has gained the ability to attack and spread between large groups of people. In other words, even though he has the ability to move between people, at the moment there is no threat of an epidemic on a large scale.

coronaviruses takes its name from a protein-shaped crown halo surrounding the germs. In humans, these microbes are most likely responsible for the common cold. Sometimes, however, can cause severe respiratory disease. In 2003, a new type of coronavirus caused a global epidemic of SARS, or severe Team acute respiratory failure. Ill when more than eigh t thousand. people, and 775 have died!

Although NCoV and SARS belong to the same family, they differ significantly from one another – inform the experts of WHO.

NCoV causes pneumonia and sometimes kidney failure. It is not known yet whether the crater was caused by a mutation of an existing virus attacking people, or is it rather the animal virus that “jumped” to humans.