What is a coronavirus?
Coronaviruses are a large family of
viruses that are known to cause
illness ranging from the common
cold to more severe diseases such as
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome
(MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome (SARS).
What is a novel coronavirus?
A novel coronavirus (CoV) is a new
strain of coronavirus that has not
been previously identified in
humans.
Can humans become infected with a
novel coronavirus of animal source?
Detailed investigations found that
SARS-CoV was transmitted from
civet cats to humans in China in
2002 and MERS-CoV from dromedary
camels to humans in Saudi Arabia in
2012. Several known coronaviruses
are circulating in animals that have
not yet infected humans. As
surveillance improves around the
world, more coronaviruses are likely
to be identified.
What are the symptoms of someone
infected with a coronavirus?
It depends on the virus, but
common signs include respiratory
symptoms, fever, cough, shortness
of breath, and breathing difficulties.
In more severe cases, infection can
cause pneumonia, severe acute
respiratory syndrome, kidney failure
and even death.
