WHO warns about a SARS-like virus

  Mr. Gregory Hartl

According to spokesman of WHO Gregory Hartl, this virus belongs to corona group (coronary shape) the same as the virus causing SARS and up to now 2 cases of death reported around have been the world since July to September this year.

The first case was a 60 year - old patient, in Saudi Arabia and the second one was a 49 year-old citizen of Qatar, who was infected when travelled to Saudi Arabia and got diseased on the way to Britain. The symptom of the two cases included fever, coughing and hard breathing. It is however unsure whether these are common symptoms, or whether this virus can spread out in other kinds of disease or not. 

This type of virus includes those that are capable of causing cold and SARS. The strain usually spreads the same way as of other kinds of respiratory diseases such as cold, the viruses will spread into the air when infected people sneeze or cough.

However, unlike SARS, this newly found virus can cause acute renal failure, a rarely seen symptom in other viruses of the same group. Previously, when SARS was found widespread all over the world, especially in ASIA, nearly 800 people died of the disease.

Until now scientists have not identified the origin of these viruses. Nonetheless, according to WHO, this newly found virus might be a variation of current viruses or a virus spread which can be transmitted from animals to human. This new virus is so-called “London1 - novel CoV 2012" by scientists at the Health Protection Agency (HPA). WHO said, coronary virus was first discovered in human being in 1960s and has been named after their crown-shaped appearance.

WHO suggested that all patients sent to hospitals with unidentified acute respiratory syndromes should be carefully checked to determine the cause of the disease.

Source: Government web portal