What is the coronavirus, where is it

An outbreak of human coronavirus, a virus causing respiratory illness in people, was detected in China in December 2019. It is rapidly spreading throughout the world, affecting 15 countries on four continents. Here is everything you need to know about the new coronavirus.

This is a developing story. This piece was last updated on January 27, 2020.

What is the coronavirus?
Where did the coronavirus outbreak start?
How can one be infected by the new coronavirus?
What are the symptoms of the new coronavirus?
Is the new coronavirus dangerous?
Can the new coronavirus be treated?
How to prevent being infected by the new coronavirus
Where is the new coronavirus now?
How many people have been infected by or died from the new coronavirus??
What is being done to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus?
What travelers in or to China need to know



What is the coronavirus?

There are seven types of human coronavirus known in the world, including the infamous SARS and MERS, which had outbreaks in 2003 and 2012-2013. The new coronavirus, or novel coronavirus, is scientifically named 2019-nCoV. It is the first time scientists have encountered this particular coronavirus, which causes respiratory illnesses.

Where did the coronavirus outbreak start?

Photo: Google Maps

The coronavirus was first detected in the city of Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, at the end of December 2019. It is believed that the virus started from an animal source from the Wuhan live wildlife market and is currently being passed from human to human. The exact source of the 2019-nCoV is currently unknown.

How can one be infected by the new coronavirus?

Like many other respiratory illnesses, the new coronavirus is believed to be transmitted from human to human by respiratory droplets when one sneezes or coughs.

What are the symptoms of the new coronavirus?

Symptoms include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. The new coronavirus can cause pneumonia or bronchitis.

Is the new coronavirus dangerous?

The new coronavirus can cause severe pneumonia and bronchitis. People with cardiopulmonary disease, weakened immune systems, children, and elderly people are the most at risk.

Can the new coronavirus be treated?

Being a new virus, there is currently no treatment or vaccine against 2019-nCoV. The only thing medical professionals can currently do is alleviate the symptoms of the patients infected.

How to prevent being infected by the new coronavirus

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that you:

Wash your hands regularly with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
Cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing, and wash your hands afterward
Throw all used tissues away, and wash your hands after use
Do not touch your eyes, mouth, or nose with unwashed hands
Avoid contact with anyone who coughs, sneezes, or has a fever

To prevent others from getting infected:

Stay at home if you feel ill, and avoid contact with others
Thoroughly wash the objects and surfaces that you may have touched


Where is the new coronavirus now?

The following countries have identified cases of the new coronavirus:

China
Hong Kong
Macau
Taiwan
Australia
France
Japan
Malaysia
Nepal
Singapore
Thailand
The Republic of Korea
United States
Vietnam
Canada


How many people have been infected by, or died from, the new coronavirus?

As of January 27, the WHO reports 2,798 confirmed cases, 2,761 of which are in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau. Of the 37 confirmed cases detected outside of China, 36 have traveled to China and 34 have travel history to Wuhan. The death toll currently amounts to 80. All of them have occurred in China.

What is being done to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus?

China announced that, as of Monday, January 27, 2020, it would suspend all group tours going abroad and the sale of flights and hotel packages.
As of January 23, 2020, nobody in the city of Wuhan is allowed to leave. Train stations and airports are closed. City buses, subways, ferries, and shuttle buses will not be operating until further notice. All other major cities in the Hubei province are on lockdown, and the whole province is quarantined from the rest of China. People entering are screened for coronavirus.
Chinese authorities have issued a ban on all wildlife trade. The source of the new coronavirus is allegedly linked to the live wildlife market in Wuhan.
In China, the Lunar New Year holiday has been prolonged to keep people at home. Schools are closed until further notice.
Travel in and out of the Chinese capital of Beijing by bus is limited.
Travelers coming from Wuhan into the US are being screened and tested for the 2019-nCoV at New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, Chicago O’Hare International Airport, and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The US plans to reroute all passengers coming from Wuhan to those five points of entry.
Mongolia has closed its border with China, and schools, universities, and playgrounds in the country are closed until March 2.
Taiwan has asked its citizens not to visit Central China.
North Korea is banning all foreign tourists from entering the country.
In Hong Kong, Lunar New Year celebrations have been canceled, schools are shut until mid-February. All trains and flights to Wuhan have been halted.
Hong Kong and Malaysia are denying entry to visitors coming from the Hubei province.


What travelers in or to China need to know

The US Department of State-Consular Affairs asks all travelers not to visit the Hubei Province. As of January 23, 2020, the whole of China has been issued a “Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution” travel advisory.

The CDC has advised travelers to avoid all non-essential travel to Hubei Province. The Forbidden City in Beijing and Shanghai Disneyland are closed to prevent the spread of the disease.

Travelers who have visited Hubei Province in the past 15 days and are experiencing symptoms of coronavirus are asked to avoid all contact with other people and to seek immediate medical help.


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