What triggers Sars is a particular type of virus belonging to the large family of coronaviruses: SARS-CoV. Like all types of coronaviruses, SARS-CoV is a single-stranded RNA virus. The spread of the virus occurs by air, through droplets of saliva (sneezing, coughing, breathing, etc.), by contact with infected objects and by contact with body fluids of infected patients (faeces).
The main symptoms of SARS include:
- Fever;
- Headache and sore throat;
- Fatigue;
- Chills;
- Musculoskeletal pains;
- Loss of appetite;
- Respiratory difficulties;
- Vomiting and diarrhea.
The most severe complications consist of bronchitis and viral pneumonia which can give rise to severe breathing difficulties and, in severe cases, lead to death.
At the moment there is no specific treatment, but those who contract the infection are isolated and treated with symptomatic and supportive treatments. At the same time, a useful vaccine has not yet been developed; the best method of prevention is represented by the quarantine of the subjects. positive for SARS-CoV.
For further information: Sars - Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome: Causes, History and Therapies known as Covid-19 and which is the protagonist of the pandemic declared by the "World Health Organization (WHO)" on 11 March 2020. It should be noted, however, that the WHO has also stated that, despite this definition, the pandemic can still be checked.
The New Coronavirus - or more correctly, SARS-CoV-2 - is transmitted mainly by air, through droplets of saliva from infected patients (stranuti, breath, cough, etc.), and by contact with surfaces contaminated by infected secretions. In the latter case, the risk of contagion increases if the hands that have touched these surfaces are not washed and the eyes, mouth and / or nose are touched.
The main symptoms of the new Coronavirus infection are:
- Fever;
- Nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat;
- Tiredness;
- Dry cough;
- Respiratory difficulties;
- Generalized feeling of discomfort.
Diarrhea, headache, and confusion may also occur less frequently.
The most severe complications are the appearance of severe breathing difficulties and pneumonia. New Coronavirus infection, as well as SARS-CoV infection, can also be potentially fatal if serious complications occur.
Treatment of symptomatic patients involves their isolation and the implementation of all necessary supportive and supportive therapies.
The first vaccine to be approved and used against the New Coronavirus is the one made by Pfizer and BioNTech, whose approval by the EMA (the European Medicines Agency) took place on 21 December 2020 (for more information, read : New Coronavirus Vaccine: Updates).
Despite the arrival of the vaccine, in order to defeat the infection, it remains essential to prevent its spread through quarantine and isolation (when foreseen and necessary), just as it is essential to follow all the appropriate hygiene rules and strictly adhere to the restrictions put in place by Governments. of the individual countries that find themselves having to fight this emergency.
For more information, read also: Coronavirus 2019-nCoV: How to Recognize the First Symptoms and What to Do (albeit with different mean values), symptoms and complications. However, the new Coronavirus appears to have epidemiological and biological characteristics different from the close relative Sars virus, characteristics that make its transmission faster. We therefore take this opportunity to reiterate once again how important it is to follow all the directives of the Ministry of Health and strictly comply with the decrees issued so far by the Italian Government in order to ensure as much as possible the containment of the virus to slow down and block its spread.
Likely animals such as bats or snakes (thought to be a zoonosis)
High
Yes, moderate to severe
Yes, moderate to severe
Yes, in some cases
Yes, in some cases
Yes, in some cases
Yes, in some cases
Isolation of symptomatic patients, quarantine for positive asymptomatic patients, adoption of strict hygiene rules (hand washing, etc.).
For the Italian territory, the issuing of decrees and the adoption of restrictive measures concerning the entire peninsula to limit the contagion.PLEASE NOTE: the data shown in the table are indicative. Type of symptomatology and severity of symptoms may vary from individual to individual, just as all the other characteristics reported may undergo changes over time. Given the continuous evolution of the new Coronavirus situation, not only in Italy, but also in the rest of the world, the data may not be fully updated.
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