New virus What is the infectivity? What about vaccine development? I summarized the questions on February 12 at 15:50
A new type of coronavirus that continues to spread. How do we prepare? We have compiled the latest information for "Fear right".
What are the symptoms?
Q: What are the symptoms of infection with the new coronavirus?
A: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), respiratory symptoms such as fever, cough, and breathlessness, as well as muscle pain and malaise, are reported as the main symptoms of this new coronavirus infection. It has been.
When severe, pneumonia and dyspnea may occur, and kidney function may be impaired.
The WHO explained in a press conference that 82% of infected people had relatively mild symptoms, 15% were severe and 3% were severe and life-threatening.
Also, according to Dr. Kenji Kutsuna of the National International Medical Center who has been treating patients who have been infected in Japan so far, the symptoms common to patients include runny nose, sore throat and cough. It is said that fever of 37 degrees or more and general malaise will last for about a week.
In some cases, the fever may rise after a week, and the symptoms are more likely to persist than influenza or other viral infections.
How infectious is it?
Q: What is the new coronavirus and how infectious?
A: Infectivity is measured by "how many people spread the infection from one patient". At present, the new coronavirus is thought to spread by flying in coughs and sneezes, and the number of infected people and one person spread from WHO from 1.4 to 2.5 people, the Chinese Center for Disease Prevention issued. Earlier patient reports indicate 2.2.
12 to 18 measles are extremely contagious, and SARS, which spread mainly in China and other parts of Asia in 2003, is estimated to be around 3 when the infection is spreading and 2 to 3 influenza. I am.
It may change in the future, but at the moment it is just as infectious as the flu. Infectivity can also be reduced by taking preventive measures.
What is the proportion of severely ill people?
Q: How many people become seriously ill when infected with the new coronavirus?
A: The WHO has so far described that 82% of infected people are mild, 15% severe and 3% severe and life-threatening.
Not all people become pneumonia when infected with the new coronavirus, and many people have mild symptoms.
It has been reported that most of the severely ill people were elderly people or people with chronic illness, so it is necessary to pay attention to those who have weakened immunity like general infectious diseases.
Who needs special attention?
Q: Who needs special attention when infected with the new coronavirus?
A: According to the WHO, many people who died from this new coronavirus were those who had chronic illness, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease.
At present, the new coronavirus is not prevalent in Japan, but people with weakened immunity not only for the new coronavirus but also for common infectious diseases such as influenza need to be careful.
Specifically, people with chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease, people using immunosuppressive drugs for rheumatism, etc., and elderly people. It is not clearly known how severe the condition is, which is likely to be severe.
In addition, although there is no information that the risk of the new coronavirus is particularly high, pregnant women are generally more susceptible to the virus and are more likely to become severe in the event of pneumonia.
In addition, there is no data on the symptoms of the new coronavirus for infants and infants, but in any case, it is difficult to take preventive measures such as thorough hand washing by yourself and avoiding crowds, so care must be taken That is.
Are you infected during the incubation period?
Q: Will the new coronavirus be transmitted during the incubation period when no symptoms are present?
A: There have been various reports on the incubation period, but the average is around 5 days and the maximum is 2 weeks.
For example, in the case of influenza, it is said that it is about 2 to 4 days, so if a new coronavirus comes in contact with a suspected infection, it will take longer to be careful.
In addition, about new coronavirus, case that infection was confirmed even though symptom did not appear is reported. Spreading the infection without any obvious symptoms is also known in the flu, and in some cases the flu has occurred without anyone coughing around.
The same is expected to occur with the new coronavirus. On February 4, a research group at Hokkaido University analyzed data from 52 patients that could be followed up in China and other countries and found that one in two patients could have been infected by a patient during the incubation period. Pointed out.
This is an estimate derived from the fact that new patients emerge at a faster rate than if they were transmitted only from the affected individual.
In spite of the incubation period, it may have been just before the onset of the disease, or it may have already developed weak symptoms, so further analysis is expected if new data comes out in the future.
Especially at this time, regardless of the new coronavirus, many people have coughs and sneezes due to normal cold, influenza, and hay fever. At least, if there is a possibility of infection due to contact with the patient, or if you have a slight cough or sneeze, you need to take care such as wearing a mask to prevent spreading without knowing it is.
What is the fatality rate?
Q: What is the mortality rate when infected with the new coronavirus?
A: The mortality rate is about 4% in Wuhan, which has been at the center of the spread of infection at this stage, and about 2% in mainland China. Outside the mainland, two people have died in the Philippines and Hong Kong, with a fatality rate of about 0.4%.
One of the reasons for the high fatality rate in Wuhan is that in Wuhan, a wide range of people were infected and many patients appeared, and medical institutions could not provide sufficient medical care. Appears to be affecting
SARS, which spread in China and other parts of Asia in 2003 due to the same coronavirus infection, had a fatality rate of approximately 9.6%.
The mortality rate is not as high as SARS. However, even if the mortality rate is low, if the number of infected people, which is the denominator, increases, the number of seriously ill people and the number of deceased naturally increase, so caution is required.
It has also been pointed out that it is not yet known how much the death rate of this new coronavirus will eventually be.
The mortality rate is the percentage of people who have been infected who have died, but there are perceptions that there are many people who are not known. Either way, there is a continuing need for measures that will not spread the infection as much as possible.
What age groups are susceptible to infection?
Q: Are there any age groups that are susceptible to infection?
A: According to the WHO, people infected so far are mainly adults, but it has been reported in a wide range of generations, from small children to the elderly.
The WHO cites elderly people as well as those with pre-existing illnesses who are more likely to be severely ill.
Is there a remedy?
Q: Are there any remedies for the new coronavirus?
A: At present, there are no remedies that are directly effective against the virus, such as the influenza Tamiflu and Zofluza, and they are responded by "palliative treatment" such as inhalation of oxygen and infusion during dehydration.
According to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, many people are actually recovering by waiting for the virus to shed and gaining their own immunity while performing these treatments.
A silver bullet has not yet been developed, but is being administered to patients in Japan and other countries because it may be possible to use drugs for other diseases that are already in practical use.
Research groups such as the CDC Center for Disease Control in the United States have given men with pneumonia caused by the new coronavirus an antiviral drug that has been developed as a treatment for Ebola hemorrhagic fever. It is said that symptoms disappeared, and fever subsided.
In addition, the Thai Ministry of Health announced at a news conference that a Chinese patient was administered a combination of influenza treatment and a drug to suppress the development of AIDS, the coronavirus was not detected, and symptoms were improved. Did.
In Japan, the National Center for Global Health and Medicine has given a drug to control the development of AIDS to one patient with pneumonia. The patient subsequently had a fever drop to the 37-degree range, his malaise had improved, and his breathing had improved.
However, it is still unclear whether these drugs worked, and in each case further clinical trials are needed to determine their safety and efficacy.
Is there a vaccine?
Q: Is there a vaccine that prevents transmission of the new coronavirus?
A: Vaccines prevent or prevent infection by pre-vaccinating, but there is no vaccine against the new coronavirus at present.
Normally, in vaccine development, the virus itself is treated to eliminate or attenuate toxicity, and then tested for animal effects to determine whether it has the effect of activating immunity sufficiently.
If it is confirmed to be effective in animals, a human clinical trial is performed to further confirm its efficacy and safety.
The National Institute of Infectious Diseases usually states that it takes "years" before a vaccine is developed.
Vaccines have not been completed for SARS, which is actually an infectious disease caused by the same type of coronavirus and spread in China and other parts of Asia in 2003, and MERS causing severe pneumonia, which continues to spread mainly in the Middle East. .
Under these circumstances, the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases revealed that it is developing a vaccine for a new coronavirus, and Anthony Fouch, director of the institute, said at a press conference on March 28 that "within three months. Will begin clinical trials to confirm the efficacy and safety of the vaccine. "
In this context, U.S. pharmaceutical venture company Inbio Inc. used a new method to design a protein that activates immunity using the information of the new coronavirus gene and administer it as a vaccine until a clinical trial was started. It is said that it will be possible to significantly shorten the period, and that clinical trials can be started in the early summer.
In addition, WHO is trying to find out if the vaccine being developed as a measure against MERS is effective against the new coronavirus, but it will take some time before it can be used. .
What can we do?
Q: Are there any measures we can take?
A: Coronavirus, like flu and cold, is transmitted through coughs and sneezes.
For this reason, the basic measures are the same as those for influenza, such as washing hands and cough etiquette.
For hand washing, it is effective to apply soap to your wrist and wash with running water for at least 20 seconds. Wash thoroughly between fingers and nails. Wash your hands frequently.
If you cannot wash your hands immediately, wiping them with an alcohol disinfectant is also effective. In this case, please take plenty of alcohol disinfectant and be careful not to wipe it off.
In addition, virus comes in through eyes, mouth, and nose. Avoid touching your face until your hands are clean.
Next is thorough cough etiquette. Cough etiquette covers your mouth when you cough or sneeze. It is important to use a tissue or elbow instead of covering your mouth with your palm.
If you use your palm, the virus can get on your hands and spread the infection by touching the doorknob.
Also, putting on a mask correctly can be etiquette. Measures that do not spread the infection will not only protect the people around, but also protect themselves in the sense that the epidemic will not spread and medical institutions will be confused.
Other measures include avoiding crowds, maintaining a distance of at least one meter from coughing and sneezing people, and wearing masks properly if you are at high risk of infectious disease, such as if you have a chronic illness. There are things.
It is important not only to focus on what is unknown, but also to practice what is known and to respond calmly to the new virus.