“Although the source of 2019-nCoV is yet to be confirmed, early findings suggest a high possibility of a bat origin,” wrote Professor Wang Linfa, then Director of Duke-NUS’ Emerging Infectious Diseases Programme, and a team of international infectious disease experts in the Lancet.
In the article, Wang and his co-authors offered guidelines for managing emerging zoonotic virus outbreaks similar to what the world was about to face. Drawing on six similar outbreaks from the previous 25 years and incorporating the first lessons from this novel coronavirus outbreak, they put forward four key points:
- A next-generation sequencing-based reporting system
The genome of the suspected novel coronavirus was released before live samples had been isolated. Such early flagging can lead to timelier medical and scientific interventions. A contemporary next-generation sequencing-based reporting system could, therefore, quickly alert the population to suspected outbreaks.
Clear guidelines for communicating information to the public
Balanced communication about suspected emerging zoonotic virus outbreaks is crucial. Clear communication guidelines must be in place to determine what must and must not be reported, to avert panic and enable balanced leadership.
Need for a “One Health” approach to outbreak responses and control
A “One Health” intervention strategy unites experts from various disciplines to solve public health problems. A comprehensive “One Health” team should be involved in future emerging zoonotic virus investigations, and devise wider impact measures for preventing future transmissions.
Name viruses with care
Location-based names for viruses, such as “Wuhan virus” and “China virus” are socially and culturally insensitive. This particular virus should, Wang and the WHO experts suggested, be named “Han acute respiratory syndrome” (HARS-CoV). This, as with SARS and MERS, foregrounds the disease as a symptom. Such a re-emphasis would reduce blame and discrimination during media usage.