A new strain of Betacoronavirus, similar to the one from bats causing an ourbreak of SARS in 2003, has been identified in Wuhan, Hubei – China.

The following illustration is a summary of data from a very small study made of 41 patients only, initially infected with the new Coronavirus in Wuhan. This data was presented in uptodate.com and the illustration tries to summarize the highlights. Very contagious, with a week long prodrome, the disease presents itself as a bad cold, with fever, cough and other respiratory symptoms.

It may cause pneumonia and in some people, particularly the ones with chronic and debilitating diseases, y may progress into sever illness with respiratory failure, shock and death. In this cluster of patients, mortality was low. It is still low. Yet, we don’t have enough data to put this in terms of population.

Transmission from human to human is confirmed and it’s spreading fast, for now. We already have the genome and vaccines are being developed as you read.

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Augusto Saldaña M, M.D. – Family Physician