Coronavirus - History, Transmission, Symptoms and Diagnosis

What Is Coronavirus?

Coronavirus is a type of virus that is transmitted by animals. It affects animals in the same way it does humans, but this virus cannot be passed on to human beings. Coronavirus is not airborne but can infect water sources and soil.

This virus has been recorded in many different animal species including humans, domesticated animals such as dogs and cats, wild birds such as gray herons and swans, domestic poultry such as chickens and turkeys, wild mammals such as coyotes and foxes.

In addition to these two types of animal species, some mosquitoes can carry this disease from an infected animal to a human being.

A Brief History of Coronavirus

Coronavirus was first discovered in the 1960s, but its name was not given until 1971. This virus is named after the crown-shaped protein at its head. It is called coronavirus because it infects cells that line our respiratory tract.

The first recorded case of coronavirus infection was in 1968, by Dr. Ernesto Lazzaro who discovered the virus after studying four dromedary camels that died from an illness with severe respiratory symptoms.

At the time Dr. Lazzaro called this disease "nude agent", or N2D2 which stood for Nausea, Diarrhea, and Dementia. The coronavirus was not discovered until 1971 when Dr. Erick Saphire and Dr. James Parslow discovered it after studying the dromedary camels that had died from this disease.

How Coronavirus is Transmitted

Coronavirus is transmitted to humans through contact with infected animals or contaminated animal products, such as urine and feces, fecal-oral spread such as ingestion of food or water that contain the virus, and by exposure to someone who has contracted the virus.

It can also be transmitted from an infected mother to her newborn infant during delivery through bodily fluids such as the placenta and breast milk. The coronavirus can also be transmitted through water systems, which includes the aquaculture industry.

This virus affects many different types of animals, especially those that live near humans. Animals like cats and dogs, which live among humans are more likely to spread this virus because their owners do not see them as a public health concern.

In contrast, exotic animals have been linked to the spread of this virus because people do not have contact with them regularly or at all. In addition to animal-transmitted infections, there is also the human-to-human transmission of coronavirus that results from direct contact with an infected person's bodily fluids such as blood and saliva.

Diagnosis of Coronavirus in Humans

Testing for this virus in humans is done by viral culture, PCR, and serology. PCR is the most common method that is used to test for coronavirus. It analyzes RNA molecules extracted from the patient's bodily fluids like blood, urine, and stool.

The coronavirus can also be detected using antibodies in human serum taken from the patient's blood sample. Alternatively, this virus can be detected using both methods with serial samples of different time intervals.

The serological response may be low in early cases of coronavirus infection. The symptoms of coronavirus are usually flu-like symptoms that are similar to flu symptoms although they tend to be more severe in the initial cases.

Symptoms of Coronavirus Infection

The symptoms of this virus include high fever, chills, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches or pain, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, or nausea (these symptoms can vary depending on the infected type of animal), confusion and lack of energy. Most people who are infected with the virus will do well without treatment for between 1 day and 2 weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions Coronavirus

What Is Its Global Status?

Coronavirus globally infects many different animal species including humans. Although this virus does not affect food safety, it can cause food-borne illness when transmitted from an infected animal to a human.

Coronavirus is not known to cause health issues in animals that occur with widespread infections such as persistent diarrhea and with high mortality rates like that of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD).

With regards to human health, coronavirus infection has been confirmed in over 400 people with over 100 deaths reported per year, with this number possibly being higher because there may be unreported cases of infection.

Does It Affect Lifespan Or Fertility?

This virus is not known to affect the lifespan or fertility of people though it may cause mild to severe respiratory illness.

Coronavirus is most commonly spread from an infected animal to a human being through direct contact with infected animal urine, feces, blood, or saliva.

People can also get infected by ingesting contaminated food or water or from contact with body fluids from an infected person.

If a human does contract coronavirus they will usually have mild to severe disease with flu-like symptoms such as high fever, chills, cough, and sore throat. In severe cases, this virus can lead to pneumonia and breathing difficulties that may result in death.