The coronavirus family is large. Whilst some of its members cause only mild colds in humans recent years have seen the emergence of some particularly virulent coronaviruses that cause serious, and sometimes fatal, illness in humans.
The present pandemic of COVID-19 is one of the most serious coronavirus illness that man has faced.
However SARS and MERS-Co are two other illnesses linked to the coronavirus family and here is a little background on where we are now with these two illnesses.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (henceforth called SARS) is an illness caused by a virus known as SARS CoV. This virus is from the same family as those that cause the common cold and chest infections (also known as pneumonia). However the SARS CoV virus causes a very serious form of pneumonia that can be fatal. It is very contagious and easily spreads in the same way as the common cold.
The most recent outbreaks were between 2002 and 2004 predominately in China and the Far East although cases occurred in North America and Europe too. More than 8000 cases were reported and 1 in 10 of those affected died.[i]
There have not been any further cases reported since 2004 but the World Health Organisation continues to monitor the situation.
Symptoms.
The symptoms of SARS are very similar to flu and begin up to a week after infection:
Fever
Headache
Muscle and joint Pain
Diarrhoea
Extreme tiredness
When the infection starts to affect the lungs further symptoms include:
Coughing (but with no sputum coughed up)
Difficulty breathing
Death is caused in some cases when the level of oxygen in the blood falls dangerously low.
Treatment.
There is no specific treatment or cure for SARS.
Work is currently ongoing to try and develop a vaccine against SARS but this is still in the research phase and there is no vaccine available at the time of writing.
Anybody suspected of having SARS must be treated in hospital as they will need oxygen and help with their breathing. Some people will be placed on a ventilator machine to help with their breathing and to keep oxygen levels up.
Steroids are used in high doses as they help reduce swelling in the lungs.
Although antibiotics do not work on the SARS virus the lungs may become vulnerable to other bacterial infections which can be treated with antibiotics.
Prevention of Spread of SARS.
When a known area of the world has a SARS outbreak all travel there is advised against.
For those already in an area where an outbreak occurs measures should be taken to try and avoid picking up the virus.
Hands should be washed frequently with an alcohol based cleanser and all food surfaces kept clean. Do not share food, cutlery or drinks containers.
Staying away from crowded and public places is advised during an outbreak. If this cannot be avoided then consideration should be given to wearing disposable face masks and disposable latex gloves when out and about to try and avoid both catching and transmitting the virus.
[i] Figures from www.nhs.uk Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-Co)
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-Co) is a serious viral respiratory illness that is relatively new to humans. It was first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and has since spread to several other countries, including the United States. Most people infected with MERS-Co develop a severe acute respiratory illness, including fever, cough, and shortness of breath. The fatality rate is very high at approximately 4 in 10 cases and 88% of all cases have been reported in Saudi Arabia.
Dromedary camels have been identified as an important host species for MERS-CoV. The epidemic has been characterised by sporadic infections following close contact with camels, as well as secondary cases and the occasional larger outbreak with human-to-human transmission in hospital settings. All contact with camels should be avoided as should consumption of raw camel milk and/or camel products.
