in December 2019 there was a cluster of
pneumonia cases in China investigations
found that it was caused by a previously
unknown virus now named the 2019 novel
coronavirus in this video we'll take a
quick look at what's currently known
about the virus keep in mind that this
is a new virus and what's known about
the virus now might change in the future
corona viruses are a large group of
viruses they consist of a core of
genetic material surrounded by an
envelope with protein spikes this gives
it the appearance of a crown crown and
Latin is called Corona and that's how
these viruses get their name there are
different types of corona viruses that
cause respiratory and sometimes
gastrointestinal symptoms respiratory
disease can range from the common cold
to pneumonia and in most people the
symptoms tend to be mild however there
are some types of corona viruses that
can cause severe disease these include
the severe acute respiratory syndrome
coronavirus first identified in China in
2003 and the Middle East respiratory
syndrome coronavirus
that was first identified in Saudi
Arabia in 2012 the 2019 novel
coronavirus was first identified in
China it initially occurred in a group
of people with pneumonia who'd been
associated with a seafood and live
animal market in the city of Wuhan the
disease has since spread from those who
were sick to others including family
members and health care staff there are
many cases at present and the disease
has spread within China and also to a
number of other countries so where did
the virus come from it's known that
corona viruses circulate in a range of
animals sometimes these viruses can make
the jump from animals to humans this is
called a spillover and could be due to a
range of factors such as mutations in
the virus or increase contact between
humans and animals for example murska v
is known to be transmitted from camels
and Tsarskoe V from civet cats the
animal reservoir of the 2019 novel
coronavirus is not known yet how is it
transmitted the exact
a mix of how the virus is transmitted is
yet to be determined in general
respiratory viruses are usually
transmitted through droplets created
when an infected person coughs or
sneezes or through something that has
been contaminated with the virus people
most at risk of infection from the novel
coronavirus are those in close contact
with animals such as live animal market
workers and those who are caring for
people infected with the virus such as
family members or healthcare workers so
how does the disease present well from
what is known so far there can be a
number of symptoms ranging from mild to
severe there can be fever and
respiratory symptoms such as coughing
shortness of breath in more severe cases
there's been pneumonia kidney failure
and death the mortality rate is not
known yet how can we tell whether
someone is infected the infection can be
diagnosed by a test called PCR or
polymerase chain reaction this test
identifies the virus based on its
genetic fingerprint there is currently
no specific medication for the virus and
treatment is supportive care there's
currently no vaccine to protect against
the virus treatment and vaccines are in
development how do we prevent
transmission of the virus this new virus
currently has a limited geographic
spread however there are a number of
standard hygiene practices that have
been recommended to protect against
infection and further spread these
include covering your mouth and nose
when coughing or sneezing with a medical
mask tissue or flexed elbow avoiding
close contact with those who are unwell
the appropriate use of masks and
personal protective equipment especially
in a healthcare setting washing hands
regularly with soap and water or
alcohol-based hand rub actions that can
be taken to prevent infection from an
animal source include avoiding
unnecessary unprotected contact with
animals washing hands after contact with
animals or animal products and ensuring
that animal products are cooked
thoroughly before they're consumed it's
important to stay home if you're feeling
unwell but if you have a fever cough and
difficulty breathing
seek medical care early and share your
previous travel history with your
healthcare provider that's a quick look
at this emerging infectious disease
given that this outbreak is evolving
rapidly what's known about this virus
can change
please check the websites below for the
most up-to-date information