Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as
- Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV)
- Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV)
A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.
Zoonotic Diseases
Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people.
A zoonosis (plural zoonoses, or zoonotic diseases) is an infectious disease caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites that spread from non-human animals (usually vertebrates) to humans. Major modern diseases such as Ebola virus disease and salmonellosis are zoonoses.
Detailed investigations found that SARS-CoV was transmitted from civet cats to humans and MERS-CoV from dromedary camels to humans. Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans.
Common signs of infection 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.
Prevention Of Infection
Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include
1 Regular hand washing
2 Covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs.
3 Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.
Ref:
https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus