Saying that there is no need to panic about the novel coronavirus (nCoV), experts at an awareness programme organised by Praja Aarogya Vedika (PAV) at the Public Library here on Sunday advised people to remain alert and take help of doctors for symptomatic treatment.
K.V.V. Vijay Kumar, HoD of Pulmonary Medicine, Andhra Medical College and Government Hospital for Chest and Communicable Diseases Superintendent P. Rama Rao, PAV State vice-president and IMA president Malladi S. Sharma and secretary K. Phanindra, and PAV president Kameswara Rao spoke.
Dr. Vijay Kumar said novel coronavirus was first detected, after several cases of pneumonia were detected during the New Year celebrations at Wuhan city of Hubei province of China. The World Health Organisation (WHO) was alerted as the virus did not match with any known ones.
“As many as 4,593 confirmed cases of nCoV have been detected globally till date and of them 4,573 cases were reported from Wuhan and its neighbouring places in China. Outside China, there were only 56 confirmed cases reported,” he said while quoting the WHO figures.
Major symptoms
The common symptoms of the virus include headache, running nose, muscle pain, sore throat, cough and cold, while the potential complications are high fever, trouble in breathing, pneumonia and sepsis. “There is no vaccine or specific treatment for the virus. Only symptomatic treatment such as drugs for fever control and ventilator support are available at present. Washing hands with soap after visiting public places and before eating, covering nose and mouth while coughing and sneezing, avoiding unprotected contact with anyone with cold and flu symptoms, thorough cooking of meat and safe disposal of used tissue and wearing masks are some of the precautionary measures,” said Dr. Vijay Kumar.
One should give up the habit of frequently touching eyes, nose and mouth and avoid close contact with animals. Those employed in slaughter houses and meat stalls should wear protective gowns, gloves and masks. “One need not panic if they have symptoms such as cold and cough as it could be normal flu. They must go for complete evaluation,” he said.
Isolation wards
In Visakhapatnam, the King George Hospital (KGH) and the Government Hospital for Chest and Communicable Diseases (GHCCD) have been identified as the nodal hospitals and isolation wards have been up set up to treat the suspected cases.
