If you haven’t read my last blog detailing Coronavirus… you should stop and read it right now or absolutely none of this will make any sense at all. The 2019-nCoV is a new type of coronavirus that has been spreading rapidly, sparking a lot of fear in the public’s eyes. As of February 7th, 2020 the virus has killed over 600 people, with the number of known cases rising. The virus was found to have begun in Wuhan, China. Close to 60 million people remain under lockdown in China, with three cities reporting over a thousand confirmed cases.
Countries around China are also suffering because of the pathogenicity of the virus. CNN reports that Hong Kong has been under strict lockdown since the virus was first reported as deadly. Over 60 million people live, reside or traveled to China and are currently under a country-wide lockdown. Those who are entering Hong Kong from the mainland are to be placed under a 14-day quarantine. Similarly, over 3,700 people are being held on a cruise ship in Japan, after one passenger was identified to be positive for the virus.
Some are even concerned about the likelihood that the virus could be spread through the mail or through imported goods from China. NBCNews reports “ “There is no evidence to support transmission of 2019-nCoV associated with imported goods and there have not been any cases of 2019-nCoV in the United States associated with imported goods,” said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, during a call with journalists.”
A group of professors actually published a study in the Lancet on January 30th ,2020 about the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of the virus. The study began when there was only 99 known cases of coronavirus. The results of the study showed that 49% of those who were tested had direct contact with the Huanan seafood market. The other 51% of patients had some sort of chronic disease that already affected their health and wellness. The study also found some information on the types of immune cells that were present, in low amounts or high amounts in the affected bodies.
Ultimately, I feel that coronavirus is something that we will be learning about in the near future. My personal theory is that super viruses, or viruses in general like the coronavirus emerge when our population has reached the limit of people it can support. This is a very simple biological concept, and many scientists theorize what number will be the maximum population on Earth. Unfortunately the world, and mother nature has a cruel way of keeping the world in balance.
Madison's Microbiology Masterpiece 