February 25, 2020

Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2): What do we know?

29 minutes

The Coronavirus, or SARS-CoV-2 as it is actually named, has in a matter of months killed over 1,170 people and sickened over 70,000 others with a pneumonia-like disease called COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019). A lot of questions are being asked about how it can spread, what the research says and what this means for the rest of the world.

In this week's episode we talk about the basic biology behind SARs-CoV-2, we discuss recently published science about transmission dynamics, the reproduction value, incubation period and doubling time of the virus, and we end discussing China's response to the virus and the misplaced xenophobia people have during this time.

SOURCES //

Chinese woman study: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/02/paper-non-symptomatic-patient-transmitting-coronavirus-wrong

Reproduction value: https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2020/01/how-fast-and-far-will-new-coronavirus-spread/605632/

Coronavirus background: https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus

Epidemiological study: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2001316#article_references

Coronavirus (animals to human transmission): https://www.wsj.com/articles/scientists-link-china-virus-to-intersection-of-humans-and-wildlife-11580997600

Travel: https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/coronavirus-travel-advice/index.html

Pandemic: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/02/health/coronavirus-pandemic-china.html?auth=login-google

Lockdown in China: https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/11/economy/china-coronavirus-returning-to-work-economy/index.html

Xenophobia: https://abc7news.com/5922670/

China cancels Lunar New Year: https://www.dw.com/en/china-cancels-lunar-new-year-events-over-deadly-virus-fears/a-52121516

Dr. Li, the whistleblower: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-51403795

Map of where SARS-CoV-2 is: https://systems.jhu.edu/research/public-health/ncov/

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By Steministas

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