UNC researcher found deadly virus in bats in China in 2015

FRIDAY AGAINST THE BORLIN TRAIL

BLAZERS.

>>> NOW TO ANOTHER STORY WE

HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING VERY

CLOSELY.

THE CORONAVIRUS IS HAVING AN

IMPACT FAR BEYOND CHINA.

MARKETS DROPPED TODAY AS

INVESTORS WAIT TO SEE WHAT THE

IMPACT WILL BE ON THE GLOBAL

ECONOMY.

WE'RE LEARNING MORE TODAY UP AT

THE VIRUS FROM A RESEARCHER

HERE AT UNC CHAPEL HILL WHO HAS

SPENT YEARS LOOKING INTO THIS

VIRUS.

WRAL'S LAURA LESLIE SAT DOWN

WITH HIM TODAY.

SHE JOINS US NOW LIVE.

LAURA?

>> Reporter: THE NEW

CORONAVIRUS IS NOT EXACTLY A

STRANGER TO THE EXPERTS HERE AT

THE UNC SCHOOL OF GLOBAL PUBLIC

HEALTH.

BUT THEY ARE WATCHING IT WITH

CONCERN.

AND THEY ARE WORKING WITH

VIROLOGISTS ALL AROUND THE

WORLD TO TIME TO FIND WAYS TO

STOP THE VIRUS AND HELP

PATIENTS BY GATE.

PROFESSOR RALPH BARIC HAS BEEN

STUDYING THE VIRUSES IN WILD

THAT'S IN WUHAN FOR YEARS.

A PREDICTED THE COUPON A

THREAT.

HE SAYS THIS NEW ONE IS A LOT

LIKE SARS.

BUT IT IS DIFFERENT IN SOME

IMPORTANT WAYS.

IT SPREADS FROM PERSON TO

PERSON MUCH MORE EASILY.

WITH SOME REPORTS OF NEARLY 80%

ATTACK RIGHT.

>> IT IS OF CONCERN.

IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU

SHOULD BE PANICKED OR OVERLY

ALARMED. BUT YOU SHOULD BE

AWARE.

>> Reporter: BARIC SAYS IT DOES

NOT MAKE EVERY VICTIM AS

SEVERELY ILL AS SARS DID, SO

PEOPLE COULD BE WALKING AROUND

WITH IT WITHOUT KNOWING IT.

>> SOME PATIENTS HAVE MILD

DISEASE.

>> Reporter: CHINESE HEALTH

LEADERS HAVE SAID AN INFECTED

PERSON CAN SPREAD IT BEFORE

THEY EVEN HAVE SYMPTOMS, WHICH

COULD TAKE AS LONG AS 12 DAYS.

BARIC SAYS IT HE HAS NOT YET

SEEN DATA TO BACK THAT UP, BUT

IF THAT IS TRUE, THAT IS VERY

CONCERNING.

>> THAT IS MUCH LIKE FLU AND

MEASLES, WHICH , IF THAT IS THE

CASE, THE PUBLIC HEALTH

INTERVENTION STRATEGIES WILL

HAVE A VERY DIFFICULT TIME

CONTROLLING THIS SPREAD OF THE

VIRUS.

>> Reporter: BARIC SAYS

SEASONAL FLU REMAINS A. FOR IN

AMERICA FOR NOW.

THE CORONAVIRUS IS FATAL TO

ABOUT ONE IN 25 PATIENTS.

THAT IS MUCH HIGHER THAN THE

FLU'S ONE IN 1000.

THE SYMPTOMS OF THE TWO ARE

HARD TO TELL APART.

FEVER, COUGH, ACHES, AND

TROUBLE BREATHING..

SAYS ANYONE WHO IS TRAVELING TO

ASIA OR HAS BEEN ON A PLANE

WITH SOMEONE WHO HAS SHOULD PAY

ATTENTION.

BARIC SAYS IF YOU THINK YOU

MIGHT BE INFECTED, IT IS

IMPORTANT TO CALL THE DOCTOR OR

THE HOSPITAL BEFORE YOU GO SO

THAT THEY CAN TAKE MEASURES .

HE AND COLLEAGUES HERE ARE

WORKING ON A COUPLE OF

DIFFERENT ANTIVIRAL DRUGS THEY

THINK MAY BE THE BEST CHOICE TO

HELP PATIENTS FIGHT OFF THE