Where Did the New Coronavirus Come From? Potentially a Snake

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  • Coronaviruses are named for their crown-like shape, and were first identified in the mid-1960s. The virus typically causes respiratory illnesses like the common cold.
  • A new study published in the Journal of Medical Virology finds that this infection may originate from snakes.
  • Seven coronaviruses are known to infect humans.

The coronavirus originating in Wuhan, China, is baffling experts searching for the source. Since the virus is considered novel, it’s a type of virus that has never been encountered before.

Coronaviruses are named for their crown-like shape, and were first identified in the mid-1960s. The virus typically causes respiratory illnesses like the common cold.

In the beginning, many of those infected worked or shopped at a wholesale seafood market in Wuhan, China, which also sold live and freshly slaughtered animals.

This is why experts suspect it crossed to humans from an animal host.

Evidence it originated in snakes

A new study published in the Journal of Medical Virology finds that this infection may originate from snakes. “Taken together, our results suggest that homologous recombination within the spike glycoprotein may contribute to cross-species transmission from snake to humans,” wrote the study authors.

But experts say the severity of these cases can diminish over time.

“Whenever a species jump appears, whenever a virus jumps from one species to another — that species will not initially have a well-developed immunity to the virus. As time passes our ability to fight the new virus increases,” Dr. Waleed Javaid, Director of Infection Prevention and Control at Mount Sinai in New York, told Healthline.

Seven coronaviruses known to infect humans

This isn’t the first time a pathogenic coronavirus has crossed over from an animal host. Ebola, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and Middle East acute respiratory syndrome (MERS) are recent examples.

“There are many different theories, but what seems to be a consistent approach in our findings in all of them is that there might have been species jump,” Javaid said.

He explained there are seven coronaviruses that infect humans, including the new virus.

“Four of them actually cause common cold and they have been with us for a very long time, maybe a few more will be identified with time, and those are mostly limited to human populations. SARS, and especially MERS, are considered a jump from another species to humans and this new virus is another possible jump.”

Not as infectious as previous coronavirus outbreaks

A recent report in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) published last week finds that the new virus isn’t as infectious as SARS or MERS, which sickened thousands in previous epidemics.

More importantly, reacting to those initial outbreaks has us better prepared to deal with this one.

“We already have structures of the virus. I think it should be emphasized how rapidly the scientific and medical community is now geared to respond to these things,” said Dr. Asim Ahmed, a pediatric infectious diseases attending physician at Boston Children’s Hospital and Senior Medical Director, Karius Inc.

Ahmed confirmed that every time we go through an outbreak of this type, there are systems in place from previous occurrences. “So we get structures, we get isolation in a virus; they’re already talking about developing vaccines. A little bit is getting the genetic information, the sequencing will be critical. With the sequencing of different strains, you can assess the population and transmission dynamics of what strain came from where, because the sequence ties the virus to its origin.”

What can we do to avoid infection with Wuhan virus?

People in China are desperately trying to get their hands on face masks, believing that wearing one will protect them from exposure to droplets sneezed or coughed out by those infected with the Wuhan virus.

“There hasn’t been a general call out for the general public to start wearing masks. Some people may be taking those measures on their own,” said Ahmed.

Ahmed said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending good hygiene, and telling people to stay home from work if they’re sick. “And if they’re sneezing or coughing to do so appropriately, like coughing into their sleeves instead of into your hand, because if you cough into your hand you can spread that around.”

He emphasized the importance of cleaning hands, and using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer when soap and water aren’t available. Also, to avoid close contact people who are sick and to routinely disinfect surfaces.

“The other thing is to avoid touching your eyes, or your mouth, because those are areas where you can directly transmit pathogens into your body,” Ahmed said.

Efforts to contain virus not perfect, but best that can be done

The CDC implementedTrusted Source screening for arrivals at airports in San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles on Jan. 17, and may soon expand that to Chicago and Atlanta.

How effective is screening after potentially infected people have already mixed with crowds in those areas?

“It’s an imperfect system but, you know, we have to balance — in free liberal countries, there are obviously some trade-offs. Countries that exercise control over their populations have more stringent means to control this sort of thing. You have to balance those interests; people’s health, but also individual liberties and freedoms,” said Ahmed.

He concluded, “It’s tough to predict at this time, but I think that people should exercise some degree of caution and awareness that this could be a big deal, but we don’t know that yet. We have to prepare ourselves in terms of outbreak and epidemic response and the government is obviously gearing those efforts and certainly on a hospital by hospital basis we’re gearing up for those sorts of efforts.”

The bottom line

The new virus first identified in Wuhan, China, is a type known as coronavirus. Like previous outbreaks of SARS and MERS, it probably jumped to humans from an animal. Researchers have found evidence it may have originated in a type of snake.

Although the virus can have severe effects on people now, experts say that this can diminish over time as our immune systems adapt.

Efforts to contain the virus aren’t perfect, but they’re the best health officials can implement without infringing excessively on people’s rights.

Experts emphasize that it’s too soon to tell what will happen, but governments and healthcare facilities are gearing up to deal with the emergency

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