Coronavirus update 5 Feb: Death toll rises to 490; people under observation in Kerala, Punjab; safe vaccine over a year away and more

The coronavirus outbreak that originated in Wuhan, China has claimed 65 more lives in the last 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 490 people. There are now 24,597 confirmed cases of the infection. While the vast majority of these cases are in China, 213 cases have been reported in other countries around the world. [caption id=“attachment_8005441” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”] The main plan of action to contain the spread of coronavirus is currently speedy testing and quarantine. Image credit: AP[/caption] Here’s what we know about the infection so far:

1. Age connection: The virus seems to affect people over 60 years of age more severely: 80% of the novel Coronavirus deaths have occurred this age group. 2. Mortality rate: Experts say that the death toll will continue to rise as the number of infections goes up. The mortality rate is reported to be around 2% of those infected, but this may change as we find out more about the disease. 3. India data: Over 2,400 people are under observation in Kerala. Encouragingly, no fresh cases have been reported. Similarly, in Punjab, out of 85 suspected cases, none have been confirmed thus far. Karnataka has also put its borders on coronavirus surveillance. 4. Other effects on India: India may face shortages in antibiotics and diabetes medication. The raw materials for these products are sourced from China. Active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), which are central to the production of drugs, come from China and the supply side disruption could cause shortages. 5. Treatment options: Pharmacological companies are rushing to produce a vaccine against the disease. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is one of the major players involved in making a vaccine to prevent infection by the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). However, GSK chief Thomas Breuer told media organizations on 3 February that even with its advanced adjuvant platform, a safe vaccine for 2019-nCoV may be 12-18 months away. [caption id=“attachment_8005491” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”] This illustration provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in January 2020 shows the 2019 Novel Coronavirus. Image credit: AP[/caption] 6. ‘Window of opportunity’ says WHO: World Health Organization (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a technical meeting that the containment measures enacted by China have meant that the disease hasn’t been allowed to cross international borders too freely. While global infections may still rise, now is a good opportunity for governments to work together to diminish this possibility. 7. Global measures to contain the spread of the virus: Stringent actions to contain the spread of the disease are in place: United and American airlines have cut flights from Hong Kong, as has Japan Airlines. Cruise ships have been denied port, leaving thousands stranded, and Wuhan itself is in lockdown. Two cruise ships, docked near Japan and Taiwan, respectively, have been placed under quarantine and denied port entry. Some new cases have been reported on board and those passengers will be taken to health facilities– the remaining ones will remain on the vessels for at least two weeks. 8. The situation within China: Wuhan started a city-wide sterilization programme Wednesday. A 1,000-bed hospital was also completed within days to meet the strain on the health department. Another hospital, with 1,750 beds is in the works as well. Further, eight additional buildings such as former gymnasiums are also being converted into hospitals. Wuhan is also doubling down on efforts to maintain a supply of food into the city and to keep prices stable. Internal embargoes have meant that hubs that provide groceries are unable to get enough food out in time and this has led to higher prices. Chinese officials came down hard on a grocery store that was charging $9 for a head of cabbage by imposing a fine of $70,000. For now, strict screening and quarantine is the main policy being followed to contain the spread. In weeks to come, the effectiveness of these policies will be put to test. 9. Effect on 2020 Olympics: The Tokyo Olympics organisers have expressed concern about slowing momentum and enthusiasm about the Games, scheduled to start from 24 July 2020. For more information, read our section on the 2019 Novel Coronavirus. Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, India’s first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.