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What Is Coronavirus?

The document discusses coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) which is caused by a new strain of coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. It was first identified in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and has since spread globally. Coronaviruses are often found in bats, camels and cats, and can spread to humans at markets with live animals.

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Hoonchyi Koh
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14 views3 pages

What Is Coronavirus?

The document discusses coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) which is caused by a new strain of coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. It was first identified in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and has since spread globally. Coronaviruses are often found in bats, camels and cats, and can spread to humans at markets with live animals.

Uploaded by

Hoonchyi Koh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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OVERVIEW

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a virus (more specifically, a coronavirus)


identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness.
What is coronavirus?

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that can cause respiratory


illness in humans. They are called “corona” because of crown-
like spikes on the surface of the virus. Severe acute respiratory
syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and
the common cold are examples of coronaviruses that cause
illness in humans.
The new strain of coronavirus — SARS-CoV-2 — was first
reported in Wuhan, China in December 2019. It has since spread
to every country around the world.

Where do coronaviruses come from?

Coronaviruses are often found in bats, cats and camels. The


viruses live in but don’t infect the animals. Sometimes these
viruses then spread to different animal species. The viruses may
change (mutate) as they transfer to other species. Eventually, the
virus can jump from animal species and begin to infect humans.
In the case of SARS-CoV-19, the first people infected are thought
to have contracted the virus at a food market that sold meat, fish
and live animals.

How do you get COVID-19?

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, enters your body


through your mouth, nose or eyes (directly from the airborne
droplets or from the transfer of the virus from your hands to your
face). It then travels to the back of your nasal passages and
mucous membrane in the back of your throat. It attaches to cells
there, begins to multiply and moves into lung tissue. From there,
the virus can spread to other body tissues.

How does the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) spread from person to person?

Coronavirus is likely spread:

 The virus travels in respiratory droplets released into the air


when an infected person coughs, sneezes, talks, sings or
breathes near you. You may be infected if you inhale these
droplets.
 You can also get coronavirus from close contact (touching,
shaking hands) with an infected person and then touching
your face.

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