Coronavirus claims lives, N.H. survives a scare

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Korah Canney-Goddard, Staff

The Coronavirus (nCoV) has become the next “Ebola” scare.  

nCoV belongs to a family of viruses known as Coronaviridae that looks like spiked rings under an electron microscope. nCoV can cause severe pneumonia and bronchitis among people with weakened immune systems, especially infants and the elderly. 

“What we know is it causes pneumonia and then doesn’t respond to antibiotic treatment, which is not surprising, but then in terms of mortality, SARS kills 10% of the individuals,” said scientist Leo Poon, a virologist at the School of Public Health at The University of Hong Kong.

Chinese authorities have confirmed more than 2,000 cases of nCoV in China and other parts of the Eastern Hemisphere. This implies the possibility that the virus is passed through “human-to-human” interaction. Recent information suggests that it can be transmitted even if the person is not symptomatic.  

One case of nCoV has been confirmed in the U.S. in Washington state in recent weeks and a student of Texas A&M is suspected to have contracted the virus. 

Since the outbreak of nCoV, China has restricted travel going in and out of their country in an attempt to contain the deadly virus which has taken the lives of more than 130 people since December 2019. 

Health officials from Littleton Regional Healthcare confirmed that two people in the state of New Hampshire have shown mild symptoms of nCoV thus far.

However, their test results came back negative. 

PA nurse Ms. Daigle said that much of the hysteria surrounding the virus, here and worldwide, is unwarranted.

“I’m not concerned or panicked over the matter,” she said. “I don’t see it being a threat to the U.S. since the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) seems to have it under control.”

New Hampshire health officials agree, but said we should still be circumspect.

“The risk to our communities in New Hamshire is low, but we want to identify people who may be infected with this new coronavirus in order to prevent spread,” state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan confirmed to WMUR.