Coronavirus: Georgia Might Be at High Risk, say Georgian Doctors

Concerns are growing about the global spreading of the new coronavirus, and Georgia too appears to be at a higher risk than previously thought, says pediatrician Tamar Ogbaidze, head of the Pediatric Department at Aversi Clinic.

“As of January 27, confirmed infections within China have climbed substantially; at least 2,794 people have fallen ill. The vast majority of these patients (2,737) are in mainland China, where most (1,423) are concentrated in Hubei province, home to Wuhan. The virus has spread outside China, including in Vietnam, Japan, Nepal, Thailand, Singapore, France; Australia has confirmed 4 cases and the United States - 5. There are many more suspicious cases worldwide but laboratory confirmation is pending,” she noted.

Even though to this day none of the countries except China have seen significant sustained chains of transmission, the ever-rising infection numbers make a case for any possible outcome. The number of people infected with the new coronavirus is rising rapidly, despite the quarantining of millions of people in China along with other measures to try to stop it. Failure to stop the virus in China could see the virus spread in a sustained way around the world and even perhaps joining the ranks of respiratory viruses that regularly infect people.

“Special caution is needed when it comes to visiting airports and public places. It is vital to reduce contact with certain animals and on farms. We should not eat thermally unprocessed food. The virus spreads very quickly. It can be especially severe in children and elder people”, Ogbaidze adds.