The great epidemics are among the fears most anchored to the collective imagination of Humanity.

Religious and chivalric orders have always been close to the sick, not hesitating to risk their lives to provide assistance and comfort to the victims.

Since there is a lot of information and some hypotheses circulating, it is important to clarify.

WHO – World Health Organization has published a focus on the new coronavirus, identifying aspects common to this type of infection.

The symptoms of coronavirus 2019-nCoV disease (this is the name of this new type of coronavirus) are similar to those of seasonal flu and include fever, fatigue, dry cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, pneumonia, kidney failure and, in severe cases, death.

The mortality rate for infected patients is around 3%, but an accurate assessment is difficult due to the difficulty of verifying this information on the spot.

Most hospitalized patients have stable vital signs at the time of hospitalization, except for a shortage of white blood cells.

25% of diagnosed patients, however, have severe symptoms.

A study of the first 41 hospital patients with a confirmed virus diagnosis in Wuhan revealed that two thirds of them were healthy before their infection and one third had previous health problems.

Three quarters of patients coughed, just over half had difficulty breathing and one third had severe breathing difficulties requiring intensive care.

On January 23, 2020, WHO stated that the majority of deceased patients had weakened immune systems due to health problems such as diabetes, hypertension or cardiovascular disease.

To date, over 20,000 cases have been identified, the vast majority in China, and 494 deaths, all but one in China.

The Chinese authorities have adopted exceptional containment measures and more than 56 million people have been isolated, with catastrophic humanitarian consequences.

The consequences on the Chinese and world economy of this coronavirus epidemic could be very important, affecting the transport sectors, oil markets, tourism …

There are various theories about the origin of the WuHan coronavirus.

Bat coronavirus mutation or, according to some, an accidentally released biological weapon.

According to Dany Shoham, a former Israeli secret service officer, in an article published in the Washington Times, this may be the case …

The Wuhan Institute of Virology was opened in January 2018.

The laboratory received the highest level of safety, the fourth.

Experiments have been conducted on the most dangerous microorganisms that can cause life-threatening diseases, such as the Ebola virus.

And if nuclear tests are controlled, biological tests, at this level, are not.

There are very few level 4 labs in the world.

And the Wuhan Institute in China is one of a kind.

Working conditions and safety measures are the most severe.

Researchers are required to change, take a disinfectant shower before and after using laboratory equipment.

In the laboratory, insiders are required to wear waterproof suits and purified air is supplied.

$ 4 million has been earmarked for the construction and development of the institute.

But are all these precautions enough to avoid problems?

The virus affects only adults over the age of 18, with an average of cases around 49.

It is highly contagious and people who have not yet developed symptoms can transmit the disease, which is exceptional for coronavirus-type viruses.

The incubation time is 7-14 days.

The transmission takes place by air, through sputum and sneezing, because, every time you sneeze, a large quantity of micro-drops of saliva is released, called “Flugge droplets” which can carry numerous pathogens.

As for the treatment of coronavirus infection, antibiotics and bacteriophages are ineffective because they treat only bacterial pathologies.

However, this general principle is not absolute, as secondary bacterial infections, including streptococci, can occur in 10% of cases on coronavirus-weakened cells.

No specific treatment is currently available, but some antivirals such as Nelfinavir (a drug used to control HIV infection) may be modified.

Several teams in China, Russia, the United States, France and Italy are working on a vaccine, but their large-scale application is not expected in the near future.

The treatments received by the patients therefore mainly concern the symptoms, in order to promote their spontaneous healing.

As a preventive measure, we recommend the classic measures to be taken during flu epidemics: frequent hand washing (disinfectant wipes or hydroalcoholic gels are very effective), avoid touching the surfaces exposed to a large number of people (door handles, backs. ..), avoid public transport and crowded places, sneeze and cough in a disposable handkerchief …

Although this epidemic is currently at the forefront of the media, we shouldn’t panic!

In case of respiratory symptoms and fever, it is necessary to consult a doctor, who can make a differential diagnosis and, if necessary, refer to the structure that can provide quality care.

Prof. Dr. Eric Oquinarena
Minister of Health of the Templar Nation