Coronavirus: All you need to know about symptoms and risks

First there was the norovirus, and now there’s the coronavirus. The coronavirus has been spreading global panic as its death toll steadily rises. So far, nearly 3,000 people have contracted the virus, with most of them living in China. In China alone, over 80 people have passed away.

The infection initially started in the city of Wuhan, located in the Hubei province of China. Many companies are suspending deliveries or any collaborations in China. Starbucks, McDonald’s, and Disney have all discontinued operations and added travel restrictions in response to the outbreak. Even some car makes such as PSA Group, and Honda Motor have started removing employees from China. Others are further evaluating the crisis on an ongoing basis.

Shanghai even issues a notice urging companies to hold off on going to work until February 3, rather than the usual January 31, and all public transportation has been stopped in Wuhan. Individuals in other countries who have recently traveled to Wuhan is asked to self-isolate, to avoid spreading the sickness further.

The World Health Organization first assessed the global risk of the virus as “moderate”, but it has recently been changed to “high.”

This isn’t the most pleasant way to finish off the celebration of the Chinese New Year. Still, there is some information about the coronavirus that everyone needs to know, as well as the necessary precautions to stay safe.

What is the coronavirus?

There are several types of human coronaviruses, including NL63, HKU1, OC43, and 229E, which are the most common alpha and beta varieties. There are also MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV, and lastly, 2019 nCoV, or 2019 Novel Coronavirus, which is the latest outbreak identified in Wuhan City.

The sickness generally starts with a mild to moderate upper-respiratory-tract infections.

Although we are talking about the human coronavirus, this family of viruses can be transmitted between animals and people.