Coronavirus is a new deadly virus that has been first detected in Wuhan, China. Before the confirmation of the virus, the World Health Organization (WHO) was alerted of pneumonia cases in the city Wuhan, however the virus tested did not match any known virus in a way raising concern amongst the medical team as it was unknown how it will affect people.
According to WHO, on the 7th of January, the Chinese authorities have identified the virus and was temporarily named “2019-nCoV” which is now known as the novel coronavirus. The coronavirus is a family of viruses that are common among animals such as camels, cats, and bats. It is in rare cases that these animal coronavirus can affect people and spread among people. The virus is said to be a combination of common cold, MERS, and SARS which usually will trigger respiratory illness.
Effect of Virus
According to The New York Times, there are already 4,500 people who have confirmed to have the virus in global terms which most of the infected majority live in China. The virus has confirmed to have killed 106 people in China and so far there has been no reported death from the virus outside of China.
The Symptoms & Severances of the Illness
The confirmed cases of the infection show the symptoms range from little to no sign of infected to severely ill and in worse cases death.
The symptoms of the virus can include:
- Shortness of breath
- Coughing
- Fever
Looking back at cases of MERS and SARS outbreak, they are known to cause major illness in people once infected. According to CDC the complete clinical picture is still not fully clarified as it is a novel (new) virus. CDC, WHO, state and local public health partners are working together in investigating and monitoring the condition closely to find a solution for the public health risk.
Spread of Virus
The virus is identified to be a serious public health threat as it causes severe illness in people and it spreads from one person to the next.
The virus has spread and confirmed cases have been found in several locations: China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Australia, Cambodia, Canada, France, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore, Thailand, The Republic of Korea, United States, and Vietnam.
Protect Yourself against the Infection
As the virus is currently spreading, we all must take simple precautions to avoid any exposure or transmission.
The UN agency has advised everyone to protect themselves by:
- Having good hygiene by regularly washing hands with water and soap or alcohol-based hand sanitizer
- Avoid any close contact with anyone that have coughs or fever
- Seek for medical help if you are experiencing fever, cough, or difficulty in breathing and let your doctor know where you have recently traveled
- Avoid raw or undercooked meats
- Cover mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing
- Wear a mask
The best way for everyone is to remain calm and follow the safety precautions suggested by health experts. As for now, it is recommended to avoid traveling especially to China. When visiting crowded places such as hospitals or airports make sure you are prepared and take the necessary equipment such as a face mask to avoid transmission.
Will you be covered if you are infected?
Let’s hope that the virus doesn’t s spread more but how will you be insured if you do get infected? When infected with the novel coronavirus you will likely be hospitalized in quarantine to avoid person to person spreading. This means, even if you only have the most basic plan of insurance policy, you will be covered as you will be admitted to the hospital with an inpatient status patient.
Be certain that you do have a health insurance plan to be sure that you are well covered as inpatient medical care, especially in private hospitals, will be undeniably expensive. If you are in the area where the coronavirus is high of risks, insure yourself and be prepared for any uncertain situation where medical care is needed.
