Interest in coronavirus course spreads faster than the disease itself

Novel Coronavirus may be spreading like wildfire — and so is interest in the disease.

A free online course launched by an Irish education group had a record-breaking 100,000 learners signing up in a single day for their course, entitled “Coronavirus — What You Need To Know”.

Alison, the company based in Galway that launched the course, has now started translating the course into over 100 languages as interest and concern in the global health threat grows exponentially.

Alison CEO and founder Mike Feerick said that the course will be “updated regularly, on the basis of daily World Health Organisation situation reports”.

He said the course covers “the essential aspects of the coronavirus”, including “important information on the virus’s origins and transmission, and what you need to be aware of if the region you are in becomes infected”. It also details how to protect yourself and others from getting sick, and guidelines for international travel.

South Africans have joined the swell of interest in the disease. At a briefing at Stellenbosch University late last week, a comprehensive lunchtime briefing attracted more than triple the numbers that were expected by the institution.

Over a thousand students and lecturers packed the venue, with many finding a spot on the floor when seats were full. Others waited in the corridor outside the venue in the hope that a spot would become available.

Meanwhile, as news broke of the runaway success of the online course, the world saw the first novel coronavirus fatalities outside mainland China. A 39-year-old male patient in Hong Kong has reportedly died, along with a 44-year-old man in the Philippines.

In China, the epicentre, the virus has infected over 20,000 people. The total death toll now stands at more than 420.

According to scientists, the virus is much more virulent but not as fatal as SARS, which rocked the world in 2003. In other words, it spreads far quicker than SARS but kills far fewer of the people it infects.

Owing to its rapid transmission, the gambling hub of Macau has now shut its doors for 15 days after 10 confirmed cases were reported in the region.

To date, SA has no cases of the virus. Suspected cases in Africa have emerged in Kenya, Ethiopia, Botswana and the Ivory Coast, but no confirmed cases have yet been recorded.