Short Wave China's Coronavirus Is Spreading. But How?
Jan 24, 2020
Join Jason Beaubien, NPR's global health correspondent, as he delves into the alarming outbreak of a new coronavirus believed to have originated in China. He discusses the frantic measures taken during the Lunar New Year travel period and parallels it with past outbreaks like SARS. Jason highlights how coronaviruses can transfer from animals to humans, stressing the challenges in tracing their origins. He also addresses concerns about transmission and the adequacy of screening measures at airports to prevent the virus from spreading further.
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Virus Origin
- The novel coronavirus likely originated in a Wuhan wholesale meat market.
- Live animals, fish, and meat sold there created an environment for animal-to-human transmission.
SARS Comparison
- The 2002 SARS outbreak, also a coronavirus, spread globally and killed almost 800 people.
- Identifying palm civet cats as the intermediate host led to a ban on their sale in China.
Virus Mutation and Transmission
- Viruses mutate naturally when replicating, potentially changing their host range.
- SARS likely jumped from bats to civet cats to humans through such mutations.
