Coronavir

Coronaviruses are a type of virus. There are many different kinds, and some of them can cause disease. The recently discovered coronavirus causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

History

The first known severe illness caused by a coronavirus emerged with the Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic in China in 2003. A second outbreak of severe illness began in 2012 in Saudi Arabia with the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). On December 31 of 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) was informed of an outbreak of “pneumonia of unknown cause” detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China – the seventh known outbreak of a coronavirus to people, now referred to as COVID-19.

Structure

Coronaviruses are large pleomorphic spherical particles with bulbous surface projections. The diameter of the virus particles is around 120 nm. The envelope of the virus in electron micrographs appears as a distinct pair of electron dense shells.

Transmission

Human coronaviruses are most commonly spread from an infected person to others through:

• the air by coughing and sneezing
• close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands
• touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes before washing your hands
• rarely, fecal contamination

Prevention

There are currently no vaccines available to protect you against human coronavirus infection. You may be able to reduce your risk of infection by doing the following:

• wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
• avoid touching your face, nose, or eyes with unwashed hands
• avoid close contact with people who are sick

Treatment

There are no specific treatments for illnesses caused by human coronaviruses. Most people with common human coronavirus illness will recover on their own. However, you can do some things to relieve your symptoms, such as:

• taking pain and fever medications
• using a room humidifier or taking a hot shower to help ease a sore throat and cough
• drinking plenty of fluids
• staying home and resting