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What is the big deal about the new corona virus?,What is COVID-2019-20?

What is Corona virus?

Corona viruses are a family of viruses known for containing strains that cause potentially deadly diseases in mammals and birds. In humans they're typically spread via airborne droplets of fluid produced by infected individuals.
Some rare but notable strains, including SARS-CoV-2 (responsible for COVID-19), and those responsible for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), can cause death in humans.
This new corona virus has caused a global health emergency, sickening almost 100,000 people worldwide, and so far killing more than 3,000. 
There are four known genuses in the family, named Alpha corona virus,  Beta corona virus, Gamma corona virus, and Delta corona virus. The first two only infect mammals, including bats, pigs, cats, and humans. Gamma corona virus mostly infects birds such as poultry, while Delta corona virus can infect both birds and mammals.

How does it spread in humans?

The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person.
  • Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet).
  • Through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. The host cell then bursts and other nearby cell in the body infected with this virus.

What are the common symptoms?

The Corona virus attacks cell in the respiratory system.
  • Runny nose
  • Sore throat
  • Cough and cold
  • High temperature

Prevention:-

There is currently no vaccine to prevent corona virus disease (COVID-19).

If you have mild symptoms, stay at home until you’ve recovered. 
You can relieve your symptoms if you:
  • rest and sleep
  • keep warm
  • drink plenty of liquids
  • use a room humidifier or take a hot shower to help ease a sore throat and cough
You can reduce your risk of infection if you:
  • Clean hands frequently with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water

  • Cover nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing with tissue or flexed elbow

  • Avoid close contact (1 metre or 3 feet) with anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms.

Is Corona virus more fatal than common flu?


The biggest difference between the two types of infection is that the health system is better prepared to fight the flu. It comes every year and, while some strains are more severe than others, doctors know how to treat and prevent it. 
The Covid-19 numbers are harder to calculate because it’s not yet clear how many people are infected. According to the CDC, calculate the death rate at about 2 percent, which is higher than the flu.

How Corona virus affect our body?


Corona viruses are made up of one strip of RNA, and that genetic material is surrounded by a membrane studded with little spike proteins. (Under a microscope, those proteins stick up in a ring around the top of the virus, giving it its name—“corona” is Latin for “crown.”) When the virus gets into the body, those spike proteins attach to host cells, and the virus injects that RNA into the cell’s nucleus, hijacking the replication machinery there to make more virus. Infection ensues.

The other thing that contributes to the severity of the infection is the proteins the virus produces. Different genes mean different proteins; more virulent corona viruses may have spike proteins that are better at latching onto human cells.

Where did Corona virus come from and how did it get its official name COVID-19?


It is clear that the virus may have an animal reservoir. In other words, it may be permanently found in a host species of animal, where it does not normally cause disease. 
Viruses can spill over from the host to other animals and humans. Evidence points to a possible initial spillover of the virus into humans and other animals in an animal market in Wuhan in China.
Bats are prone to act as a reservoir for viruses. Chinese populations of the horseshoe bat genus (Rhinolophus) have already been found to host viruses similar to the new corona virus.
The horseshoe bat genus is found around the world and there are 40 species in Africa. But so far no viruses related to the cause of Covid-19 disease have been reported from African bat species.

Corona viruses are known to have a high mutation rate and can recombine with other corona viruses, creating new virus variants with the potential to emerge as outbreak viruses in humans.
 The emergence of novel corona viruses is also strongly linked to a high diversity present in host populations and to contact between bats, humans and other animals, creating opportunities for spillover.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said Tuesday that the new c that was first identified in Wuhan, China, has officially been named “COVID-19.” “Co” is for coronavirus, “Vi” is for virus, “D” is for disease and “19” since it was detected in late 2019, officials said.


Reference
Photo by Yannis H on Unsplash
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
Photo by Macau Photo Agency on Unsplash
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