Travel Medical Risks – Coronavirus (COV)

On 31 December 2019, the WHO, China Office was informed of cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology (unknown cause) detected in Wuhan City, China. A novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) was identified as the causative virus by Chinese authorities on 07 January.

What is Coronavirus? 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.

Symptoms

Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.

Trade and Travel

Based on currently available information, WHO does not recommend any restriction of travel or trade.

Recommendations

Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.