What is nCoV?
The 2019 nCoV is a new strain of coronaviruses and has not been previously detected in humans. It comes from a large family of viruses the illnesses range from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
They transmit from animals to humans and on Monday Chinese authorities confirmed human to the human transmission too. Of nearly 300 patients detected with the virus, 6 have died.
What are the signs of nCoV and what precautions can you take?
The signs of the infection include fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulty, pneumonia, severe acute respiratory illness, kidney failure and death.
One must avoid close contact with people suffering from acute respiratory illnesses, stay away from the dead farm or wild animal carcasses, practice good hygiene and cough etiquettes.
Why India needs to worry?
As a large number of people travel to and from China, Japan, Thailand and Korea where the outbreak has reached, there is a fear of a possible outbreak in India too.
The country is now screening passengers coming from these countries at seven airports for any possible infection and has asked states to review their preparedness for severe respiratory illness outbreaks.