COVID-19 VERSUS SARS

 SIMILARITY

• These are the similarities and differences between the latest health emergency and its predecessor, Sars, which affected more than 8,000 people in 37 countries

• The two diseases are genetically similar and both have flu-like symptoms, but the new virus is clinically milder

 

Structure of Coronavirus

The two viruses share similar symptoms. Carriers of the latest coronavirus (covid-19) experience fever, malaise, dry cough, shortness of breath and occasionally respiratory distress, according to a number of medical journals. The virus carriers’ vital signs have been stable in most cases, but leukopenia, a decrease in white blood cells, and lymphopenia, a reduction in the white blood cells known as lymphocytes, were common, studies say.

Similarly, Sars also usually brings with it flu-like signs – including fever, chills, muscle aches, headache and occasionally diarrhoea. Both viruses are known to cause pneumonia.

The genetic sequence of the latest coronavirus is at least 70 per cent similar to Sars, according to medical journals. Both belong to the large coronavirus family which causes illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases.

Sars-infected cells inspected under a microscope during a news conference in Hong Kong in 2003 were found to be similar to the new coronavirus to the one that caused Sars, but they are not identical. 

 

TRANSMISSION

According to the WHO, both viruses are zoonotic – transmissible from animals to humans. Although the scientific research is ongoing, some studies suggest bats are the most likely hosts for the virus' origins, although it could not have been transmitted directly to humans.

Researchers have compared the new coronavirus’ genetic sequence with those in a library of viral sequences, and found that the most closely related viruses were that coronaviruses originated from the bats. The Chinese Centre for Disease Control (CDC) said it analysed samples of 15 animals from the seafood market thought to be at the centre of the outbreak, but found no match.

 

DIFFERENCES

The new virus (covid-19) is clinically milder than Sars in terms of severity, case fatality rate and transmissibility, according to medical data.So far, the mortality rate for the new virus is about 3.6 per cent – with 360 deaths out of the 10,000 people infected.

Meanwhile, the Sars outbreak infected 8,437 people worldwide with a mortality rate of 10 per cent. According to a WHO report, the deaths of 813 people were attributed to the Sars virus between November 1, 2002 and July 11, 2003.

CONTAGION

Nevertheless, the scale of the outbreak of the new coronavirus has already exceeded Sars, with the number of infected patients already outstripping the previous health emergency.

Another factor complicating prevention is the suggestion that the new coronavirus, unlike Sars, is transmissible even by people who are not showing any symptoms.

Information on this page is provided for interest only on a "best efforts" basis and does not 
constitute personal advice. Always discuss medical conditions and related matters with your doctor.

 

Ref:www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3048472