11. SARS-CoV-2
It belongs to the same family of viruses as SARS-CoV, well known as coronaviruses, and was first identified, as you already know, in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. It is believed that the virus originated in bats, just like SARS-CoV and passed through an intermediate animal before infecting people.
Since its outbreak, the virus has infected tens of thousands of people in China and thousands of others worldwide. The disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, called COVID-19 (Co and Vi come from coronavirus, D meas disease and 19 stands for 2019) has an estimated mortality rate of about 2.3 percent. People who are older or have for a long time an underlying health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and lung disease seem to be most at risk of having severe disease or complications.
Common symptoms include fever, dry cough and shortness of breath. In severe cases, the disease can progress to pneumonia. It’s really important to listen to the authorities, so stay home as much as possible to further minimize your risk and the risk of your loved ones of being exposed.
For more information regarding the coronavirus, click here.
