EBOLA VS. CORONAVIRUS

EBOLA VS. CORONAVIRUS

Introduction

World Health Organization on January 31^st declared Coronavirus a global health emergency, a month after its second outbreak in December, in Wuhan China. Public Health Emergency of International Concern, a declaration of WHO is designated to assess and determine health risks that require an international response (WHO, 2019). The declaration has recognized several diseases to be global health emergencies, including swine flu, polio, Ebola, zika virus, and the latest being coronavirus in 2020. Ebola disease has, by far been compared to coronavirus, in its clinical manifestation and economical global impact. This discussion will, therefore compare and contrast coronavirus disease and Ebola virus disease. The discussion will focus on the mode of transmission, pathophysiology of the disease, diagnosis, management and the economic impact.

Classification and structure

Avian and mammalian species of Animalia host coronavirus. These include humans, cattle, bats and monkeys. Although the virus in humans and cattle relate in morphology and chemical structure, there exists no evidence that the virus can be transmitted from animals to humans. In animals, the virus attacks several body tissues causing a variety of diseases, unlike in humans where the virus attack only causes upper respiratory infections. The most common infection is common cold. Ebola virus, on the other hand, is a zoonotic disease, whose initial reservoir remains unknown (Kourtis et al, 2015). The condition is spread among primates. It spreads from animals to humans, as well as among humans. This virus is very lethal and rare among humans. The virus both in humans and animals resemble in morphology and chemical structure.

Transmission 

The two main routes of transmission of Ebola virus are through human to human and animal to human. Animal to human transmission is through contact with the animal meat, or direct contact with an infected primate. Human to human transmission is, however, the main form of transmission. Contact with body fluids from an infected individual is the primary mode of transmission. These fluids include blood, semen, and vomitus. Breast milk, air and insect bites are not confirmed as a mode of transmission yet. Ebola’s primary method of transmission is human to human. The virus is transmitted through body fluids such as saliva, sweat, vomitus, blood, urine, feces, and any skin breaks (Bray, 2014). Animal to human transmission also can occur through handling the meat of an infected animal. Ebola, unlike coronavirus, is more contagious as it spreads very fast through air.

Pathogenesis

Coronavirus, upon infection through the mucosal lining, grow and multiply rapidly along the epithelial lining. The infected cells get damaged of their cilia, which trigger the release of inflammatory mediators. These mediators increase nasal discharge, local inflammation and swelling along the upper respiratory tract. In response, the patient starts to cough, sneeze, gets an obstructed airway and temperatures rise (Fehr & Perlman, 2015). The Ebola virus paves the way through a skin break. The virus modulates macrophages and monocytes, hence releasing viral particles to extracellular tissues. These particles gain their way into the lymphatic system, into lymph nodes causing lymphadenopathy. In response, the liver and spleen produce inflammatory products that impair the vascular integrity in the body. Impaired vasculature causes intravascular coagulation resulting in multiple organ failure.

Presentation

Coronavirus has an incubation period of about three days, before the presentation. The main signs upon onset include common cold and airway obstruction causing sneezing, runny nose and cough. The virus is shed off a few days after infection through the nasal secretions; hence the patient resolves. It can, however, complicate to cause diseases of lower airways, multiple sclerosis and even death. Ebola virus incubates longer, for about 8-10 days. During incubation, initial symptoms may set in, including fever, skin rash on the trunk and lower back, chills, fever and headache. These signs are easily mistaken for other infectious diseases. Other symptoms that set in later include diarrhoea, vomiting and nausea, easy bleeding from the skin, deliriums, seizures, and electrolyte imbalance.

Similarities

Both coronavirus and Ebola virus disease is zoonotic, implying the viruses are transmitted from animals to humans. Both conditions have been declared public health global emergencies. Ebola was declared an emergency after a fatality in African countries; Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea hit 11,323 (WHO, 2014). Coronavirus disease was declared a global crisis in 2020, after an outbreak in China, and spreading close to 18 more countries by the date of declaration. The two diseases are highly contagious through the air and in contact with body fluids of infected persons. The viruses are again very fatal, within days after infection, although coronavirus has shown to be 15% fatal against 50% fatality of Ebola.

Conclusion

Ebola viral disease and coronavirus disease are both public health global emergencies, declared by WHO. The two conditions have reported very rapid spread and fatal prognosis. Both conditions are known to originated form animals, but none has been directly related to being a reservoir of either of the viruses. Although the infections are both zoonotic and spread through contact with body fluids, they are chemically and morphologically different. Coronavirus has an incubation period of 3 days and can spread by contact with body fluids of the infected, mainly saliva. Ebola spreads can, however, spread through semen, blood, urine, feces and all other body fluids. Ebola has shown to have a fatality of 50%, unlike coronavirus, with a fatality rate of 15%. Coronavirus, although spreading rapidly, have a better prognosis, and likely to be under control globally.