China is experiencing an outbreak of coronavirus which has so far killed seventeen people and infected a further four hundred and forty. The outbreak began in the city of Wuhan, with most of those infected having visited a fish market. Despite authorities initially maintaining there was no evidence this strand of the virus was contagious, it has since been confirmed that the virus is spreading via person to person transmission. Cases have now been reported in Beijing, Japan, Thailand, South Korea, and the United States. This new virus belongs to the same family as other diseases such as SARS and MERS. Justin Wong spoke with Siouxsie Wiles about coronavirus, and what can be done to stop it from spreading.
Siouxsie Wiles is an Associate Professor in Molecular Medicine and Pathology at the University of Auckland. She is an expert in infectious diseases and pathogen transmission.
Podcast:
This interview originally aired on 95bFM’s weekly news and current affairs show The Wire. For more stories like this, click here.
For more of our audio and visual content, check out our YouTube channel, or head to the University of Auckland’s manuscripts and archives collection.
For more information on COVID-19, head to the Ministry of Health website.
Disclaimer: The ideas expressed in this discussion reflect the views of the guest and not necessarily the views of The Big Q.
You might also like:
How are illness and disease created in particular bodies? ▶
Are antibiotics to blame for some modern diseases? 🔊
