Coronavirus 2019-nCoV is rapidly spreading despite unprecedented travel restrictions. Learning from SARS epidemic, stopping it will require contact tracing, case-based screening, home-base isolation, "point-of-care" diagnosis. And swift action.
A new respiratory corona virus, 2019-nCoV, is quickly spreading throughout China, despite unprecedented travel lock-down, impacting tens of million people. Cases have been reported in multiple other countries, including Australia, France, Japan, Thailand, Italy, the USA...
Ongoing efforts to find a vaccine are under way, but even the most optimistic suggest several months of development before human trials can begin. With no vaccine or treatment, the most effective way to stop the spread is to limit transmission by identifying infected individuals with no delay and isolating them before they infect others. This strategy succeeded against SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) epidemic in 2003. National and Global health authorities are deploying approaches used during the SARS crisis, but, as the virus is already widespread, other measures also need to be taken.
