Prevention and Control Guide | How Much Do You Know About the Novel Coronavirus

The coronavirus that is spreading this time is a newly discovered coronavirus. It belongs to the same large family of coronaviruses as the SARS virus that broke out in 2003 and the MERS virus that appeared in 2012. They are "brothers and sisters" and have many similarities in their genetic sequences, but they are not exactly the same.

Research suggests that the natural host of the new coronavirus may be bats, but the intermediate host from bats to humans has not yet been fully identified. The research team of South China Agricultural University found that pangolins are potential intermediate hosts of the new coronavirus, but it is not clear whether there are other wild animals. For safety reasons, everyone should never eat wild animals or fresh food that are banned by the state or whose origin is unknown.

Coronaviruses are widely present in nature. More than 10 different types of coronaviruses have been found in domestic pigs, cattle, sheep, poultry, dogs and cats. However, these coronaviruses belong to different genera from the new coronavirus and SARS virus, and there is no evidence that coronaviruses from domestic animals can be transmitted to humans. The new coronavirus and SARS virus that infect humans will not infect domestic animals. However, when domestic animals go out, it is not ruled out that they come into contact with pollutants containing the virus, and when people come into contact with pollutants on them, the virus may spread. However, the virus survives no more than 2 to 4 hours in a dry environment. If we pay attention to the cleaning and disinfection of animals that go out, this probability is also relatively low. To be on the safe side, while restricting the flow of people, we should also restrict the free flow of domestic animals in rural areas.

The novel coronavirus can be spread through droplet transmission and contact transmission, possibly through digestive tract infection and "fecal-oral transmission". The latest news shows that the novel coronavirus can also be spread through aerosols. Aerosol transmission refers to the process in which droplets are suspended in the air. As they lose water, the remaining proteins and pathogens form a nucleus, forming a droplet nucleus. This droplet nucleus can float to farther places and cause long-distance transmission.

The general population is susceptible. The elderly and those with underlying diseases are more seriously ill after infection. Children, infants and pregnant women are also susceptible.

Image source: "Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Rural Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia"