What is a novel coronavirus?
•Coronaviruses (CoV) are a
large family of viruses that cause a wide range of illness from the common cold
to more severe diseases
•i.e., Middle East Respiratory
Syndrome [MERS] and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome [SARS]
•A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is
a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.
•I.e., Middle East Respiratory
Syndrome [MERS] and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome [SARS]
•Several known coronaviruses
are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans.
•On 31 December 2019, the WHO
China Country Office was informed of pneumonia cases of unknown cause in Wuhan
City, Hubei Province of China.A novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was isolated and
identifiedas the causative virus by Chinese authorities on 7 January.
Ref: WHO website
