the 2019 novel coronavirus is a global
health emergency we must all act
together now to limit further spread
since they began using the designation
in 2005 the World Health Organization
has declared global health emergencies
only 5 times before the first case was
reported in the Chinese city of Wuhan on
New Year's Eve now over 30,000 people in
at least 26 countries have contracted
the corona virus the vast majority of
confirmed cases are in mainland China
where the numbers continue to skyrocket
and where more than 600 people have died
as a result
border closings suspended flights a
citywide evacuation and quarantine it's
scary stuff so what is it we're really
talking about when we talk about the
corona virus and what can we do to
protect ourselves
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common signs of a corona virus infection
include fever cough and difficulty
breathing in more severe cases it can
lead to pneumonia kidney failure and
even death corona viruses are a family
of virus that caused the common cold and
are named for the spike proteins on the
surface that make it look like a crown
or a star
they are also zone notic meaning that
they are transmitted between animals and
people while the exact source of this
new corona virus is unknown there's
pretty strong evidence that it
originated from bats
recent data confirms that bats Harbor a
significantly higher proportion of
zoonotic viruses than all other
mammalian orders still this doesn't
necessarily mean that patient zero in
wuhan ada bat s has been alleged or was
even in contact with one and that's
because the jump coronaviruses make from
bats to humans typically occurs through
an intermediate animal with SARS it was
a cat-like mammal called a civet with
mares it was camels coronaviruses like
these are thought to be transmitted via
respiratory droplets contact with
infected secretions and fecal matter
so is wearing masks the answer according
to experts yes
if you're feeling unwell the World
Health Organization says they're
unnecessary usage can lead to a mask
shortage for those who really need them
during an outbreak masks can also offer
a false sense of security
causing people to forget about the rest
of the steps they need to take which are
actually pretty straightforward
wash your hands with soap and water
frequently even if they aren't visibly
dirty and cover your nose and mouth when
you cough or sneeze with a tissue or
your arm and not your clean hands this
new strain of coronavirus isn't
necessarily a death sentence people can
and do recover from it but being
vigilant about hygiene can certainly
help stop it spread
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