Tuesday, February 12, 2013
CC 3 @ 5:44 AM
In a recent news article entitled, New SARS-like Virus, Kate Kelland informs the viewers of Yahoo! News of a deadly new disease that has taken over Europe.
According to the World Health Organization, the virus was identified in Septemeber of 2012. WHO explains that SARS, "or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, symptoms... include respirtatory illness, fever, and coughing." The virus is currently showing person-to-person transmission. Viruses such as SARS usually travel in airborne droplets, causing this case to be very interesting.
Currently, there have been 11 confirmed cases. WHO has stated that there have been "five in Saudi Arabia.. two are in Jordan... [and] three in Britain." Several have died, though those in Britain are all receiving treatment at the moment. The virus is believed to have started in the Middle East, and it is known that one of the patients from Britain had traveled to Saudi Arabia before being diagnosed with the virus.
Tom Wilkinson, a lecturer in respiratory medicine at Britain's University of Southampton, has stated said that "if [the virus] turns out to be like the previous SARS outbreak, it may prove quite slow to spread..." Doctors are working day and night in order to treat those infected. They are also trying to come up with a vaccine in order to prevent more infections.
This article caught my eye because of the fact that some people have actually died from the virus. Many viruses already have vaccines to prevent them, but this one is mutated and transmits through human contact. It reminded me of the Black Plague, a disease that killed a huge population of Europe and Asia back in the Middle Ages.
Although the vaccine has infected several people, it also has helped doctors figure out the symptoms and has helped to try to figure out a vaccine. The virus has not yet arrived in America and hopefully does not, considering we have the technology to prevent such diseases that have occurred mostly in the Middle East.
Tom Wilkinson, a lecturer in respiratory medicine at Britain's University of Southampton, has stated said that "if [the virus] turns out to be like the previous SARS outbreak, it may prove quite slow to spread..." Doctors are working day and night in order to treat those infected. They are also trying to come up with a vaccine in order to prevent more infections.
This article caught my eye because of the fact that some people have actually died from the virus. Many viruses already have vaccines to prevent them, but this one is mutated and transmits through human contact. It reminded me of the Black Plague, a disease that killed a huge population of Europe and Asia back in the Middle Ages.
Although the vaccine has infected several people, it also has helped doctors figure out the symptoms and has helped to try to figure out a vaccine. The virus has not yet arrived in America and hopefully does not, considering we have the technology to prevent such diseases that have occurred mostly in the Middle East.
