Coronavirus: A nasty virus for sure, but most survive it
Coronavirus has panicked people and markets, but let’s remember the recovery rate is remarkably good
The phrase "how to not get coronavirus" is trending on Google. That’s hardly a surprise — the number of Covid-19 infections worldwide has soared to 80,000 as the novel virus does the thing that viruses do best, spread fast and far.Countries affected so far include South Korea, Japan and northern Italy — as of Monday 172 people had been infected in Lombardy, shutting down the Venice Carnival and Milan Fashion Week. Eight Middle East and Gulf countries now have cases, including Iran, where, officially, 12 people have died, though some reports say 50. Countries in the region are shutting their borders and stopping flights.As of Tuesday morning, the virus had killed 2,700 people worldwide, most of them in China. That’s a mortality rate of 1%-2%.That many more people have been infected, been ill and recovered is lost in the hysteria.Meanwhile, researchers try to get a grip on the origins of the virus. The most likely suspects are bats, from which it spread to pangolins and then to human...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.