Get the latest information from the World Health Organization about coronavirus.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

   Get the latest information from the World Health Organization about       coronavirus.

 

In December 2019 there was a cluster ofpneumonia cases in China investigationsfound that it was caused by a previouslythe unknown virus now named the 2019 novelcoronavirus in this video we'll take aa quick look at what's currently knownabout the virus keep in mind that thisis a new virus and what's known aboutthe virus now might change in the futurecoronaviruses are a large group ofviruses they consist of a core ofgenetic material surrounded by anenvelope with protein spikes this givesit the appearance of a crown crown andLatin is called Corona and that's howthese viruses get their name there aredifferent types of coronaviruses thatcause respiratory and sometimesgastrointestinal symptoms respiratorythe disease can range from the common coldto pneumonia and in most people thesymptoms tend to be mild however thereare some types of coronaviruses thatcan cause severe disease these includethe severe acute respiratory syndromecoronavirus first identified in China in2003 and the Middle East respiratorysyndrome coronavirusthat was first identified in SaudiArabia in 2012 the 2019 novelcoronavirus was first identified inChina it initially occurred in a groupof people with pneumonia who'd beenassociated with a seafood and liveanimal market in the city of Wuhan thethe disease has since spread from those whowere sick to others including familymembers and health care staff there aremany cases at present and the diseasehas spread within China and also to anumber of other countries so where didthe virus come from it's known thatcoronaviruses circulate in a range ofanimals sometimes these viruses can makethe jump from animals to humans this iscalled a spillover and could be due to arange of factors such as mutations inthe virus or increase contact betweenhumans and animals for example murska vis known to be transmitted from camelsand Tsarskoe V from civet cats thean animal reservoir of the 2019 novelcoronavirus is not known yet how is ittransmitted the exacta mix of how the virus is transmitted isyet to be determined in generalrespiratory viruses are usuallytransmitted through droplets createdwhen an infected person coughs orsneezes or through something that hasbeen contaminated with the virus peoplemost at risk of infection from the novelcoronavirus are those in close contactwith animals such as live animal marketworkers and those who are caring forpeople infected with the virus such asfamily members or healthcare workers sohow does the disease present well fromwhat is known so far there can be anumber of symptoms ranging from mild tosevere there can be fever andrespiratory symptoms such as coughingshortness of breath in more severe casesthere's been pneumonia kidney failureand death the mortality rate is notknown yet how can we tell whethersomeone is infected the infection can bediagnosed by a test called PCR orpolymerase chain reaction this testidentifies the virus based on itsgenetic fingerprint there is currentlyno specific medication for the virus andtreatment is supportive care there'scurrently no vaccine to protect againstthe virus treatment and vaccines are indevelopment how do we preventtransmission of the virus this new viruscurrently has a limited geographicspread however there are a number ofstandard hygiene practices that havebeen recommended to protect againstinfection and further spread theseinclude covering your mouth and nosewhen coughing or sneezing with a medicalmask tissue or flexed elbow avoidingclose contact with those who are unwellthe appropriate use of masks andpersonal protective equipment especiallyin a healthcare setting washing handsregularly with soap and water oralcohol-based hand rub actions that canbe taken to prevent infection from ananimal source include avoidingunnecessary unprotected contact withanimals washing hands after contact withanimals or animal products and ensuringthat animal products are cookedthoroughly before they're consumed it'simportant to stay home if you're feelingunwell but if you have a fever cough anddifficulty breathingseek medical care early and share yourprevious travel history with youra healthcare provider that's a quick lookat this emerging infectious diseasegiven that this outbreak is evolvingrapidly what's known about this viruscan change