전문가에게 들어보는 신종 코로나 바이러스 With growing concerns over the spread of the virus in and outside of the country..., our Kim Bo-kyoung met with an expert to find out some key facts about the virus. Many people still have lots of questions about the novel coronavirus.
One of the questions is whether there is a specific age group that is more likely to be infected.
In a recent study of 99 patients with the coronavirous in Wuhan, China,... the number of patients infected was evenly distributed, meaning that there isn't any particular age group that is more prone to catching the virus.
Half of the patients had chronic medical conditions.
One expert says the key factor is what activities you do.
"Usually active people are much more likely to be infected because they could be exposed to the environment with virus. But elderly people or infants who are infected are more likely to get worse or die."
Right now, the death rate for this strain of coronavirus is much lower than previous coronavirus-based diseases,... yet an expert says the death rate could reach 20% as there are many patients in a serious condition. The total number of patients has already surpassed the other types of coronavirus,... and the number of new infections caused by each patient is in between SARS and MERS.
The expert says this outbreak might last more than 8 months.
"The virus might continue spreading for at least 8 or 9 months. But it could be possible that the period will be shorter as the infrastructure and the quality of preventive measures are much better than at time of SARS. It is important to diagnose patients with the virus and quarantine them."
The expert adds that this virus is not an airborne infection, rather a droplet infection.
The difference between these are the size of the particles that come out of one's mouth. As the novel coronavirus particles are relatively large, people more than two meters away are generally safe.
He says that although patients without symptoms can spread the virus, those with severe symptoms spread the virus much more.
"Those people without symptoms or with just mild symptoms are not the ones that spread the virus much. The contagiousness depends on the amount of virus that a patient gives out, so patients with mild symptoms shouldn't be a priority for quarantine."
The expert says people should avoid contact with contagious people by avoiding crowds, wearing masks, and washing your hands frequently.
KIM Bo-kyoung, Arirang News.
#Expert #coronavirus #answers
Arirang News Facebook:
0 Comments