To be tested for the deadlyΒ Coronavirus, you must meet specific criteria set out by the CDC. One Detroit Metro Airport passenger will not be tested for the illness after being taken to the hospital for Coronavirus-like symptoms because he did not meet these criteria. In addition to showing signs of a fever or lower respiratory illness like shortness of breath or coughing, the CDC says you must also have:
- Had exposure to a Coronavirus case that was already confirmed in a laboratory
- Traveled to anywhere in mainland China or Hubei Province within 14 days of showing symptoms
Because the Detroit Metro Airport passenger did not meet these criteria, no additional information would be released, per Michigan health official. They are no longer considered a person under investigation.Β
Transmission of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus
A recently published paper on the transmission of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus may be flawed. The paper indicated the Coronavirus might spread beforeΒ symptomsΒ appear. More research is still needed to confirm one way or another.Β
According to the paper, the businesswoman flew from China to Germany to meet with her colleagues. She became sick on her return flight and then tested positive for the virus. There were no interviews with this woman, but they were told that she didn’t show any symptoms before her flight back to the United States. Four other people in Germany then had the virus, and that’s not all. Because it was reported the businesswoman did not have symptoms, researchers concluded the virus could be transmitted before someone even knew they were sick. However, further investigation by the German government’s public health agency revealed she did have mild, non-specific symptoms such as back pain and fatigue. It was also revealed that she took antipyretic medication, which is used to prevent orΒ reduce fever. So, while inconclusive, the World Health Organization maintains the primary way to contract the virus is from symptomatic cases.
Remdesivir β China’s Antiviral Drug
Reports indicate that Chinese researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology have developed an antiviral drug called ‘remdesivir.’ They have applied for a patent. However, the drug is experimental and just now entering clinical trials. Though the drug is not licensed or approved, this is still good news that progress is being made. We don’t have a safe and effective treatment yet, but hopefully, the reality is on the horizon. In the meantime, the World Health Organization maintains no known effectiveΒ therapeuticsΒ against the Novel Coronavirus.
