What is the Coronavirus? Named after its peculiar crown-like-spikes which protrude through its outer-core, the virus was first identified back in the 1960s, since then, including the latest Coronavirus, scientists have confirmed 7 different Coronaviruses, all of which are split into 4 different groups, alpha, beta, gamma, and delta, all pose a significant threat to human life.
Humans have lived with Coronaviruses for many years with the most common ones being the human NL63, (alpha coronavirus) 229E, (alpha coronavirusOC43, (beta coronavirus) and the HKU1. (beta coronavirus)
So what makes this latest Coronavirus more dangerous than the viruses above? Simply put this new coronavirus belongs to a different group of virus and all have made the gigantic leap from animals to humans, and for this reason, humans have very little protection for the virus.
Examples of these extremely contagious coronaviruses include the MERS-CoV the beta coronavirus that caused the MERS a severe respiratory illness, SARS-CoV, yet another severe respiratory sickness both of which have made the jump from animals to humans.
What is the prognosis? We do know that this previously unknown virus has killed people mainly in China and is rapidly mutating into a Chinese Pandemic. However, in recent days the World Health Organisation (WHO) has informed the international community that other cases and deaths have been reported elsewhere in the world, leading them to declare a global emergency, while, at the same time warning that this latest outbreak of the previously unknown coronavirus will only keep growing.
What are the symptoms of this latest coronavirus? Short answer symptoms can start with a mild cold before in some cases if left unchecked progressing to death. However, to be more precise, the infection usually kicks in with a fever, then after about a week, most patients complain of a sore throat before the infection spreads to the lungs resulting in severe shortness of breath, which in some cases requires hospital treatment.
Countries with confirmed cases of the new Coronavirus? AS we can see by the chart to the right (many thanks to the BBC for its use) the new Coronavirus would indeed to be spreading to other countries, which would seem to validate the World Health Organisations concerns.
Food for thought: It should also be mentioned that it was only just a few weeks ago that the first recorded case of this new Coronavirus was in Wuhan in China, today we know that there are at least 20,000 confirmed cases in China alone, furthermore, if statistics are to be believed we know that at least 450 people have died from the virus to date
We here at Worldwide Breaking News will keep you up to date as news comes in
Steve Simmonds