Coronavirus cases in India rise to 73: Precautions & all you need to know about COVID-19

A day after  World Health Organisation (WHO) declared vel coronavirus, or COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic, number of cases in India has risen up to 73 on Wednesday. To contain spre, India has suspended all existing visas, barring diplomatic, UN/ International Organisations, employment and project visas, till April 15, 2020. vel coronavirus surfaced in a Chinese seafood and poultry market late last year. 

On December 31,  government in Wuhan, China, confirmed that health authorities were treating dozens of pneumonia-like cases. Days later, on January 7, vel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) was identified as causative nt that h infected dozens of people. On January 11, China reported its first death. As number of cases increased in Chinese city of Wuhan, more than 11 million population, was cut off by Chinese authorities. By January 30, as virus started spreing all over world, WHO declared it as a “public health emergency of international concern", finally declaring it as a pandemic on March 11.

Over one lakh twenty thousand people have been tested positive for virus and at least 4,000 people have died and over 60,000 have recovered. virus has spre to nearly 120 countries and so far.

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What is Coronavirus?

coronavirus (CoV) is a vel strain in large family of viruses that causes illnesses ranging from common cold to acute respiratory syndromes. Common symptoms of vel coronavirus (nCoV) strain include respiratory symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties, as per WHO. Coronaviruses are zootic, meaning y are transmitted between animals and people, according to WHO. Several kwn coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have t yet infected humans.

How is it spre?

According to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), human coronaviruses most commonly spre from an infected person to ors through air by coughing and sneezing, close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands.  viruses can also spre by touching an object or surface with virus on it, n touching your mouth, se, or eyes before washing your hands, CDC said.

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Precaution against Coronavirus 

While re is vaccine to protect against this family of viruses, WHO has released a list of precaution that must be followed amid worldwide outbreak of virus:

• Wash your hands frequently
  Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash m with soap and water. Washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub kills viruses that may be on your hands.

• Maintain social distancing
  Maintain at least 1-meter distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing. 
   
• Avoid touching eyes, se and mouth
  Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. 
   
• Practice respiratory hygiene
  Make sure you, and people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and se with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. n dispose off used tissue immediately. 
   
• If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care as soon as possible
  Stay home if you feel unwell mildly. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention immediately. National and local authorities will have most up to date information on situation in your area. re are helpline numbers.
   
• Stay informed and follow vice given by your healthcare provider, stay away from fake news 
  Stay informed on latest developments about COVID-19. Follow vice given by your healthcare provider. Stay away from fake news.

It has also declared coronavirus as a pandemic. Pandemic refers to an epidemic that has spre over several countries or continents, usually affecting a large number of people. It basically means that re is a simultaneous and sustained spre of a disease across world, across international borders. 

 last time WHO declared a pandemic was during 2009 H1N1 swine flu outbreak. COVID-19 became first pandemic as 2002-2003 outbreak of SARS, which is also a strain of coronavirus, was contained to avoid that classification.

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Coronavirus in India 

first case of coronavirus was reported in Kerala on January 30. health ministry said in a statement that patient is a student at Wuhan University in China. As on Thursday, toll rose up to 73, as per official record. Earlier on Wednesday,  Ministry of Health & Family Welfare along with suspending Visas, issued an visory for people with visa-free travel, and to OCI cardholders, stating that visa-free access will be temporarily suspended with effect from March 13, 2020. 

statement also specified that all incoming travellers, including Indian nationals, arriving from Coronavirus-affected countries, namely, China, Italy, Iran, Republic of Korea, France, Spain, and Germany after February 15, 2020, will have to undergo a minimum 14-day period of mandatory quarantine. 

Ministry's visory cautioned that International traffic through land borders will be limited to designated check posts with meticulous screening facilities. se checkpoints will be tified separately by Ministry of Home Affairs. tably, statement also mentioned that enhanced testing facilities for students in Italy to collect samples will be arranged. Those tested negative will be allowed to travel and will be quarantined on arrival in India for 14 days.

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