Yet misunderstood, coronavirus continues to weigh down the balance of its victims. Native to China, it would have caused the contamination of 2,700 people and the death of 80 people according to the newspaper Le Monde . In France, three people have been affected according to the Ministry of Health. Lately, experts have revealed that the bats could be responsible for the spread of this virus. The information was relayed by LCI , South News and the British media The Sun .
The coronavirus had appeared in December at a market in Wuhan City, China. Since then, the Chinese authorities have quarantined the epicenter city to limit the spread of the epidemic. Despite the precautions implemented, coronavirus has reached several countries in Asia, but also the United States, France and Australia. The anxiety is at its peak and researchers are trying to determine the origin of the epidemic.
Soup bats, a track that creates doubt
Many videos and pictures showing individuals trying to eat a soup bats were quick to alert the media and to sow doubt about the origin of the epidemic. These suspicions come from a study conducted by researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences that would have associated the mammal coronavirus. Relayed by the Daily Star , the Mirror and the China Daily , their findings suggest a possible link, but the Parisien calls for caution, this information would be trying to spread without direct evidence established.
South News also quotes the South China Morning Post that evokes this link without incriminating the soup in question, “the Wuhan coronavirus natural host could be bats … but between bats and humans, it can be an unknown intermediary. ” Therefore difficult to say at this time if the soup is indeed responsible for the contamination.
Several animals suspected
According to Jean-Claude Manuguerra, head of biological intervention unit emergency at the Pasteur Institute, quoted by LCI “Right now, what we know is that it is almost obvious that the virus has just an animal source. ” Several studies have been conducted to define the origin of transmission of the virus to humans. Among the assumptions, the bat from that contained in the list. “We find many in the Chinese markets,” says Christophe Batejat expert affiliated with the Institut Pasteur. Remember also that the bat was the cause of two outbreaks , SARS and respiratory syndrome in the Middle East, explains Le Parisien. Nevertheless, “these infections have been transmitted to humans from civet cats and camels,” say the experts from the Pasteur Institute of Shanghai.
In addition, other scientists Chinese suggested that the snake could be the intermediate host. For them, the DNA of the virus could be modified to infect the snake. But Sandrine Belouzard , researcher at the Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, believes that “there is no known coronavirus in snakes, which are cold-blooded creatures.”
It seems that scientists interventions have not led to conclusive results now. But the investigation continues. “The confirmation of the presence of an animal reservoir is essential for intervention and prevention of the epidemic,” say two scientists Americans.
Symptoms coronavirus
Coronavirus, called 2019-Sxy, is a virus affecting the respiratory tract. Infected people with this virus can establish the presence of certain symptoms similar to flu. According Yazdan Yazdanpanah , director of the Immunology Institute, inflammation and infectious diseases and microbiology at Inserm, flu-like symptoms, fever, headache and pain joints and muscles can be recorded at the beginning of the disease. Then, the virus can lead to cough, sputum, shortness of breath and even pneumonia.
According to the Ministry of Health , if a person has these symptoms and had recently traveled to China, it is strongly advised to call the “15” and not go to the hospital to avoid the risk of contamination.
