Discovery Health publication on the Outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus

Outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus

News of the outbreak of a novel coronavirus, dubbed 2019-nCoV, currently dominates global headlines. Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause mild to severe diseases such as Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The new strain is said to be linked to a large seafood and animal market, suggesting that it originally spread from animals to humans. However, a growing number of patients have not had exposure to such markets, which indicates that there is now person-to-person infection. To date, over 7 500 cases of infection have been confirmed, mostly in China. So far, no confirmed cases have been reported in South-Africa and the rest of the African continent. Authorities worldwide are monitoring the situation and are implementing the necessary safety measures. Medical aid benefits for confirmed cases of the coronavirus (2019-nCoV) for both in-hospital and out-of-hospital care will apply according to plan type.