The new member of the coronavirus family, to which SARS also belongs, is still popping up. The World Health Organization thinks that it is spread more widely than we’ve yet discovered, but so far less than a dozen cases have been confirmed.
Of the cases that have been confirmed, symptoms have been severe, and a few cases have ended in death. Early research suggested that this new virus is more easily transmitted than the original SARS. It’s speculated to be of animal origin, although research hasn’t been going well, as different research centers haven’t been well coordinated at sharing information.
The new SARS virus has symptoms similar to pneumonia—WHO recommends that any unusual cluster of Pneumonia symptoms, especially among healthcare workers, be tested for the virus.
The people most at risk for coming down with new SARS-symptoms are those who travel. The virus seems to have originated in the Middle East, but it’s already spread—and there hasn’t been good data collected suggesting where or how far (presumably the cases so far have been the most severe, there may be many more less severe or asymptomatic cases spreading it far and wide).
What steps do you take when you travel to protect your immune system?
