coronavirus blog
Posted by Ashima Munjal on February 6th, 2020
Coronavirus (CoV) is a large family of viruses.
First described in detail in the 1960s, the coronavirus derives its name from the 'crown' of a specific corona or sugar-protein, which projects from the envelope surrounding the particle. The makeup encoding of the virus is the longest genome of an RNA-based virus - a single strand of nucleic acid approximately 26,000 to 32,000 bases long.
There are four known generations in the family, namely Alphacoronovirus, Betacoronovirus, Gamcuronovirus and Deltasoronavirus. Alphacornoviruses and Betacoronaviruses only infect mammals, including bats, pigs, cats, and humans. The Gamuconovirus family infects most birds, such as poultry, while the Deltacuronovirus family can infect both birds and mammals.
A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain not previously identified in humans.
Coronavirus families that cause death in humans from the common cold to serious illnesses such as Middle East respiratory tract syndrome and severe acute respiratory syndrome.
A global health emergency
Coronavirus outbreaks have been classified by the World Health Organization as a global health emergency, confirmed in many countries including Canada, Australia, Germany and Japan, as well as in the UK.
Eight of these cases involved human-to-human transmission to Germany, Japan, Vietnam and the US.
What are the symptoms of coronavirus?
There is a large family of coronavirus viruses, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explaining that they are usually "mild to moderate respiratory tract diseases" like the common cold.
This particular strain of coronavirus is originated in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, the largest city in central China, and is in the same family as SARS and MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome).
Symptoms of the virus may include:
running nose
headache
cough
Sore throat
fever
How does it spread?
Coronaviruses usually spread from one infected person to other means:
Air from coughing and sneezing
