Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans. Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people. There have been 83,910 reported cases and 2,872 deaths all over the world.
The first case was reported in December of 2019 in Wuhan, China. The initial outbreak has been suspected to have begun in a live fish, animal and bird market. On Jan. 30, the World Health Organization declared a global emergency, officially a “public health emergency of international concern.” “The declaration comes now, because of fears that the coronavirus may reach countries with weak health care systems, where it could run amok, potentially infecting millions of people and killing thousands,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO director-general.
Symptoms of COVID-19 are non-specific and the disease presentation can range from no symptoms (asymptomatic) to severe pneumonia and death. As of 20 February 2020 and 12 based on 55924 laboratory-confirmed cases, typical signs and symptoms include fever, dry cough, fatigue, sputum production, shortness of breath, sore throat, headache, myalgia or arthralgia, chills, nausea or vomiting, nasal congestion, diarrhoea, and hemoptysis, and conjunctival congestion. People with COVID-19 generally develop signs and symptoms, including mild respiratory symptoms and fever, on an average of 5-6 days after infection (mean incubation period 5-6 days, range 1-14 days).
An asymptomatic infection has been reported, but the majority of the relatively rare cases who are asymptomatic on the date of identification/report went on to develop the disease. The proportion of truly asymptomatic infections is unclear but appears to be relatively rare and does not appear to be a major driver of transmission. Individuals at the highest risk for severe disease and death include people aged over 60 years and those with underlying conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer. Disease in children appears to be relatively rare and mild with approximately 2.4% of the total reported cases reported amongst individuals aged less than 19 years. A very small proportion of those aged under 19 years have developed severe or critical diseases.
Saint Louis University’s Student Health Center and Employee Health are continuing to monitor the spread and have published a Health Advisory page with information and their plan if a case is contracted locally. “SLU has plans and protocols in place for pandemic situations. Student Health and Employee Health will continue to monitor the situation and are prepared to work with campus partners and the local health department as needed,” according to their Health Advisory Page.
Radhika Boruah