The parent SARS coronavirus identified in France: should we worry?

The new coronavirus, a first case was confirmed in France is similar to that of SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), which in 2003 had caused the death of over 800 people, but seems to be transmitted easily from person to rights.
It is official: the first case of contamination near the SARS coronavirus was identified in France. The man was hospitalized in Douai (Nord), was transferred Wednesday afternoon at the University Hospital of Lille. Should we then worry about the arrival in France of coronavirus similar to the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), which in 2003 had killed more than 800 people in the world?

A priori, no, since it seems difficult to transmit from human to human. Listed in 2012 by the World Health Organization (WHO) called NCoV, he hit 30 people so far and caused 18 deaths since April 2012. The coronavirus family, which derive their name from their appearance surrounded by a circular crown, includes the diverse virus harm, can cause common colds to acute respiratory complications or death.

9000 people infected with SARS

In the case of this new coronavirus, most infected people passed through the Arabian Peninsula and resided there. At the current stage of knowledge, inter-human transmission NCoV is "rare" and would cover both cases, according to Dr. Françoise Weber, director of the National Institute of Health Surveillance. This new virus "is close to viruses found in bats, but it seems there are other intermediaries" in its transmission, said Dr. Sylvie van der Werf of the Pasteur Institute. Viruses of this family can affect humans but also different animal species, wild or domestic, cat poultry through pigs. Like other viruses can mutate from one species to another.

These "virus crown" mostly cause infections of the digestive and respiratory tracts in mammals and birds. Among the few coronavirus that can affect humans, the best known is the SARS appeared in 2003 and which led to the "atypical pneumonia", considered the first new disease of the twenty-first century. She touched in a few months around 9000 people and won nearly 10% of patients. At the time, the mortality rate and the relative ease with which the virus passed from man to man had justified an unprecedented mobilization of scientific, medical and political communities. Considering that SARS is transmitted mostly by close by the spittle or body fluids of a patient, the best prevention is hand washing contacts.