Coronavirus poses potential risk of fecal-oral transmission
The new coronavirus poses threats via both droplet transmission and contact transmission, thus personal protection against vomitus and feces should be taken seriously
New revelation about the lethal China virus shows the potentiality of it transmitting through faces as positive viral RNA (Ribonucleic acid) was detected in the stool of confirmed patients.
National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China confirmed the latest findings at a press conference on February 2, held by the Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen.
As the world is caught off guard by the deadly novel coronavirus and scientists are struggling to figure out every possible measure to battle it, the new revelation needs special attention and immediate investigation to confirm the claim, according to experts.
"In the past two days, new problems have been detected in the stool of confirmed patients in Wuhan, Shenzhen and even in the first case in the United States Coronavirus, this phenomenon indicates that the virus can replicate and exist in the digestive tract, but it is not transmitted through the feces, or re-transmitted through the formation of aerosols containing virus droplets, which needs our epidemiological investigation and research to further confirm this phenomenon", said Feng Luzhao, a researcher at the Department of Infectious Diseases of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to Xinhua News Agency, clinical findings have shown that the first symptom of some patients with new-type coronavirus infection is only diarrhea.
Later, the researcher Shi Zhengli's laboratory at Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences found viral nucleic acids in stool and anal swabs from the infected patients.
In an interview with CCTV reporters, Academician Zhong Nanshan said that urine is initially unavailable, but the stool does need attention.
Based on research, the new coronavirus poses threats via both droplet transmission and contact transmission, thus personal protection against vomitus and feces should be taken seriously.
The research team suggested to pay special attention to family members who are diagnosed with mild illness and avoid sharing bathrooms with them if possible.
Hand hygiene should be taken seriously besides sterilizing home, and specially bathrooms, by using fatty solvents such as ether, 75% ethanol, chlorine-containing disinfectant, peracetic acid and chloroform.