Recently a rapidly evolving disease known as the Coronavirus is spreading throughout the world. A numerous number of people have been affected and many people have expressed their concerns about what kind of epidemic this evolving health concern will lead to. This is what you need to know.

Coronaviruses are extreme cases of common colds and other upper respiratory infections. This particular virus is known as zoonoses which means that they infect animals which can then pass onto another. In some particular cases, it can spread to humans, which it now has. The virus started when China reported a group of cases of viral pneumonia to the World Health Organization (WHO) in late December 2019. A majority of the people that were sick had come into contact with a seafood and animal market in Wuhan, China. 

So far, there are over 45,000 cases have been confirmed in 24 different countries of the virus however that is subjected to change as it keeps spreading. In the United States, 11 cases are known: 6 in California, one in Washington state, one in Arizona, two in Illinois, and one in Massachusetts. In China, the vast majority of the population is infected and thousands of people have been quarantined on cruise ships docked in Japan and Hong Kong. Recently, two newborns have been infected, the youngest being only 30 hours old. 

Unfortunately, there is no vaccination for coronavirus yet, however, there are ways that can help prevent it from spreading. Like normal cases of the flu and cold, washing your hands with warm water and soap, covering your cough and sneeze, avoiding contact with people who are sick or staying home when you’re sick, and cleaning and disinfected frequently touched objects can go a long way.