Coronavirus COVID19 latest figures and travel advice

Coronavirus COVID19 latest updates – statistics and travel advice

The first British fatality has been confirmed today as cases across Europe continue to rise.

The Brit was a former passenger on board the doomed Diamond Princess cruise ship and had been evacuated by British authorities. The UK authorities have however refused to count the man in their official figures and reports highlighting the urgent need for governments to be transparent and honest about their data, an issue repeatedly raised by the WHO and CDC who have questioned the data from several countries in particular Iran and Italy.

Wales also saw it’s first confirmed case today (included in the UK’s figures).

Many members of the public are questioning the inconsistency in reported figures relating to the daily increase in total cases and the reported new cases each day. This is due to the methods some nations use to record what they classify as a new case and what they classify as an existing case. Some countries refuse to record data for patients who travel into the country already with the virus and also refuse to record data for citizens who contracted the virus whilst overseas, even once repatriated. This confusion causes some patients to not be counted whilst others are counted twice, once by two separate nations. Due to the inaccuracies in the recording of data it is not possible to give precise data.

Currently the fatality rate of COVID19 stands at 1-3% whilst that of the common influenza stands at 0.1%.

What does COVID19 stand for and why has the name changed so many times?

CO | Corona – This is Latin for ‘crown’ and comes from the shape of the protrusions on the surface of the virus

VI | Virus

D | Disease 

19 | 2019, the pandemic was first recorded in December 2019

The name has changed from 2019-nCoV, Novel Coronavirus 2019 and CoV-ID-19. These all refer to the same thing. The full scientific name is actually Novel Coronavirus 2019, which is latin for “The New Crown Shaped Virus 2019”. The change in short or common names comes as medical agencies tried to find a uniform identification that did not cause confusion and was easy to understand in all languages and cultures. 

What is COVID19?

Coronaviruses are actually a family classification of viruses and not one particular disease. The Coronavirus family covers a large spectrum from the common cold to the infamous SARS which caused the 2003 pandemic which has a mortality rate of 10%. 

The COVID19 currently has a mortality rate of 1-3% depending on which institution’s figures you follow, but has a much higher rate of infection. 

How could I be infected by COVID19?

COVID19 is spread like any other Coronavirus (flu or cold). Moisture droplets in the air or air-conditioning systems expelled from coughing or sneezing can be breathed in via your nose, mouth or enter your system via your eyes or an open wound. 

If you sneeze into you hand and touch a surface, another person touches that surface then touches their face, food or open cut, they could transmit the virus to themselves.

Medical advice is to keep good hygiene, wash your hands regularly, sneeze into a disposable tissue and never your hands or the open air. Avoid crowded spaces. Hotel air-conditioning systems that share central ventilation shafts can also spread the virus from one floor to another even in no direct contact between guests is made. 

Many airports are operating compulsory 16 day quarantine for passengers with a high temperature or fever.

In the USA for example it is a federal crime to refuse to follow the instructions of airline crew when in the air.

If you travel when feeling unwell, even if you are not positive for COVID19 you may still be quarantined as a precaution. This is likely to be for a minimum of 16 days.

Before travelling please remember to check the travel advice, restrictions and special measures in; the country of departure, all transit countries even if you do not plan to leave the airport and your arrival destination.

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