Chronicle Editor
The source of the outbreak was traced in Huanan Sea Food Wholesale outside a market which was then closed on January 1, 2020. COVID-19 is a respiratory infection caused by Coronaviruses. If I may hasten to add that there are thousands of Coronaviruses and this new one was therefore named COVID-19. They all cause illnesses ranging from a common cold to severe disease such as the middle eastern respiratory syndrome and also what was generally referred to as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
The outbreak in China is from a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans. Coronaviruses are transmitted between animals to humans and from humans to humans. It is what we call a zoonistic disease. The symptoms of the COVID-19 include fever, chest pain, chills, and difficulty in breathing, headache, sore throat, cough, pneumonia and even kidney failure. I am not trying to frighten anyone because I can see everyone is now feeling their parts but this is the reality.
The Coronavirus infection is highly infectious and can be spread through aerosols or through the coughing, sneezing and close personal contact with an infected person such as touching or shaking hands, touching an infected object like a door knob then touching your mouth or face without washing your face can also spread the virus. Faecal contamination is also one of the roots of spreading the virus although it is very rare.
In order to reduce the risk of infection with the new Coronavirus, it is important to avoid close contact with anyone with a cold or flu like symptoms. Prevent unprotected contact with farm or wild animals, cover the nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing with tissue paper or flex elbow, wash hands with soap and running water after sneezing and coughing and when caring for the sick and after toilet use, before eating food, during and after preparing food, continuous washing of hands because hands are dirty and after handling animals and animal waste — it can be worse.
As of yesterday, there are no cases of coronavirus in Zimbabwe.
Bongani Moyo
Online Reporter