By C. Chung, E. Kinman, S. Folk and E. Cashen
Who might catch it?
For those who are not near the areas where it’s spreading or are not around anyone who is feeling sick, the chances of contracting COVID-19 are low. However, those who are in an affected area should follow the advice provided by national and local health authorities because their chances of contracting the virus are higher. Source: World Health Organization.
To see which parts of the world have active cases of coronavirus disease, check out the Coronavirus Dashboard, created by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms include headaches, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, muscle pain, fever, and feeling tired. Source: BBC.
Who needs to wear a mask?
If you do not have respiratory symptoms such as coughing then you do not need to wear a medical mask. The medical masks are only to prevent the spread of virus. Source: World Health Organization.
How far away is a vaccine?
The current estimate is at least 18 months. The US biotech firm Moderna announced a vaccine that is ready for clinical trial, but the testing process itself takes about a year or more. Source: CNN.
What is the coronavirus family?
The coronavirus family is a common group of viruses from animals including camels, bats, and cows. These viruses can transfer to humans through repeated contact (zoonotic disease). COVID-19 got its name because of its crown-shaped protein spikes that the virus uses as a way to access an immune system. Source: Council on Foreign Relations.
Why do new diseases sometimes appear in China?
Zoonotic diseases are caused by viruses, bacteria, or fungi that move from animals to humans. They can appear anywhere where humans have contact with animals. COVID-19 is a zoonotic disease, as are the closely-related diseases SARS and MERS. Both SARS and COVID-19 originated in China. Why? The video above answered that question for us, by explaining the place of wildlife “wet” markets in the modern Chinese economy.
