Coronaviruses area a group of a large group of Viruses. They consist of core of genetic material surrounded by an envelope with protein spikes. This gives an appearance of crown. The crown in latin is called “CORONA”. That’s how theses viruses get their name.
There are different types of viruses which cause Respiratory and Gastrointestinal symptoms. Respiratory disease can range from common cold to Pneumonia and in most people, the symptoms tend to be mild. However, there are some types of CORONAVIRUSES that can cause severe diseases Such as
1. SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome -CoV) First identified in China in 2003
2. MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-CoV) First identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012
3. 2019-nCoV -Novel Corona Virus -First identified in China 2019
What is illness caused by2019-nCoV Coronavirus?
COVID-19 is an illness caused by a coronavirus.
Where is Coronavirus originated from?
It is known that coronaviruses circulate in a range of animals. Sometimes theses viruses can make the jump from animals to human. This is called spill over and could be due to range of factors such as mutations and increase contact between humans and animals such as:
MERS-CoV is from Camel
SARS-CoV is from Cat
2019-nCoV is not known yet
What are symptoms of COVID-19?
Illnesses associated with the new coronavirus, named COVID-19, are similar to several respiratory illnesses and include fever, dry cough, sore throat and headache. Less frequent symptoms included coughing sputum or blood, headache and diarrhea. Most cases are considered mild to moderate with a subset experiencing more severe illness with shortness of breath and difficulty breathing.
Reported signs and symptoms include:
• Fever
• Coughing
• Difficulty breathing
• Pneumonia in both lungs
Symptoms may take up to 14 days to appear after exposure to the virus.
https://ipac-canada.org/coronavirus-resources.php
Disclaimer: Given that this virus is growing rapidly, the information may change, kindly check the following website for information.
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
https://ipac-canada.org/coronavirus-resources.php
https://ipac-canada.org/coronavirus-resources.php
By:
Manmeet Behl, RD, NM, Registered BASICS.fst® and ADVANCED.fst® Trainer,
RD at Wellspring Chinguacousy (Cancer Support Centre), Director of Clinical Operations and Cofounder at Nutritionwize Consulting Services Inc.