On February 4, 2020, Belgium officially registers its first case of coronavirus. But Belgians and the world have heard about it since December 2019 with the first cases reported in China. A year later, we can identify it a little better. What do we know for sure and what unknowns remain?
What we know
First, it is certain that the virus is part of the corona family, known for a long time. The world has already experienced two severe episodes in the face of this type of virus, in 2003 with SARS in Asia and in 2012 with MERS in the Middle East.
The new coronavirus is spread through the droplets we throw out when we breathe, cough or talk. Wearing a mask is therefore effective. First not recommended, the World Health Organization changed its mind in June. “The WHO was counting on concepts which dated from other respiratory viruses, these concepts have evolved on the basis of what has been shown”, says the interfederal spokesperson for the fight against the coronavirus Yves Van Laethem.
We also know that the virus survives on surfaces. One day on wood, two on fabrics, four on plastic and steel. This certainty justifies the need to wash your hands regularly and rigorously.
The virus is benign in 80% of cases but we know why it can be more formidable. “We know that this virus not only affects our respiratory tract but is much more pernicious. The epithelium (tissue composed of juxtaposed cells arranged in one or more layers lining the internal face of the organs, editor’s note) of our vessels undergoes inflammatory reactions which irritate it and can promote thrombosis in the lungs but also in the heart, kidneys, brain “, explique Yves Van Laethem.
The remaining uncertainties
First unknown a year later: how did this virus get? It obviously left a market in eastern China, but its first trace is found in bats in western China. We still don’t know how it got from one to the other. “There is a hiatus between the bat and the passage to humans. Is this a problem linked to a laboratory in Wuhan? Is it a gradual passage to another animal and to humans that would have been done in eastern China? “, the questions remain.
The virus mutates, so there is no certainty about the long-term effectiveness of the vaccine. There is also no evidence for the effectiveness of chloroquine. Another question: is the virus seasonal? “It is not yet extremely clear. We know that the mild coronaviruses that affect children and young adults every year are seasonal. On the other hand, the question remains unanswered for this one that we have recently known. We are not sure of a real seasonality regardless of people’s behavior.
Finally, the duration of immunity for those who have had it has not yet been established. We are talking about 6 months but recontaminations have been observed.
Covid-19 in Belgium: here is where the situation is this Wednesday, December 16
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