More than 100 people have now died from the new coronavirus (冠状病毒)-COVID-19. The number of people infected in mainland China increased sharply in one day-from 2, 700 Monday to more than 4,500 Tuesday. The increase comes even as China takes strong measures to stop the spread of the disease.
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause disease in mammals (哺乳动物) and birds. Coronaviruses can cause illnesses from the common cold to much more serious illnesses like Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Experts still do not have a clear picture of the severity of the new coronavirus.
Officials are calling the disease a "novel" or new coronavirus because it has not been found before in humans. The new virus is thought to have spread to humans from wild animals sold at a market in Wuhan, in central China's Hubei Province. But it is now spreading between people. Chinese officials say the disease is able to spread from one person to another even before any actual signs appear. This makes it especially hard to stop.
Signs of the disease among infected patients have included fever, cough, shortness of breath and general breathing difficulties. In more serious cases, the virus can cause pneumonia（肺炎）. Some people report few or no signs, while others have gotten very sick or even died. Experts say that signs of the virus may appear between two and fourteen days after being near someone who is infected.
There is no special treatment for the new coronavirus. However, many of its effects are treatable, as long as a patient is in fair health. Because the virus is so new among humans, there is no available vaccine (疫苗) to protect against the disease. But the World Health Organization advises people to avoid close contact with anyone showing signs of a breathing sickness, such as coughing or sneezing. It also says people should wash their hands often and use safe food practices.
(Written on 29th January, 2020)
