May 15, 2013 – Keiji Fukuda, deputy director in charge of health security at the WHO (= World Health Organization) is categorical, “this is a new infection”. Indeed, the cases identified in the Middle East at the end of 2012 and more recently in three European countries, including France, are carriers of the NCoV coronavirus (= “New CoronaVirus”).
The characteristics of this virus are close to those of the SARS virus (= Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) but are still unknown to the WHO. Never before identified in humans, this new form of coronavirus is currently being studied by WHO researchers, with the help of other researchers around the world, to determine its mode of transmission, its severity and its clinical consequences. It is still unclear whether the cases that appeared in Europe have mutated from those that appeared in the Middle East.
All the laboratories working on the NCoV are in direct contact with the WHO to investigate the 34 cases confirmed since September 2012, of which 18 were fatal. Keiji Fukuda recalls that all countries must remain vigilant, monitor all cases of acute respiratory infections (= ARI) and report them to the WHO.
Aurore Clavé – PasseportSanté.net
Sources: WHO (www.who.int/csr/disease/coronavirus_infections/fr/), Ministry of Health (www.sante.gouv.fr/nouveau-coronavirus)
