Daily Times

The name coronavirus come from the Latin word corona, meaning crown or halo. This infection was termed as Coronavirus due to its resemblance to crown or solar corona like shape, when imaged under electron microscope. It was first identified in the 1960s in the noses of patients suffering from common cold after that it is recently found in Wuhan city of china. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause illness ranging from common cold to more severe diseases such as the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). This family of viruse was originally transmitted from animals to Humain .For example SARS, is believed to be transmitted from civet cats to humans where as MERS is transmitted to Humans from camel to. Several other coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not infected humans,yet.

A novel (new) coronavirus, identified by Chinese authorities on 7th January 2020 which is named 2019-nCoV.It is a novel strain that has not been found to infect .

Human transmission has been confirmed. These are types of viruses that typically affect the respiratory tract of mammals including humans. Their infection can cause common cold, pneumonia, and severe acute respiratory syndromeSARS) and can also affect the gut. According to the WHO, signs of infection include fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, it can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome(SARS), kidney failure and even death. The incubation period of the coronavirus is currently unknown. Some sources predict it can fast from 10 and 14 days.

Common Human Coronaviruses

Common human coronaviruses, including 229E, NL63, OC43, and HKU1, usually cause mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract illnesses, like the common cold. Most people get infected with these viruses at some point in their lives. These illnesses usually last for a short amount of time.

Symptoms include

* Runny nose

* Headache

* Cough

* Sore throat

* Fever

* A general feeling of being unwell

Sometimes, Human coronaviruses cause lower-respiratory tract illnesses, such as pneumonia or bronchitis. This is more common in people with cardiopulmonary disease, people with weakened immune systems, infants, and older adults.

How coronavirus spread:

Coronaviruses can spread in variety of ways but most commonly by the mean of given below:

* Coughing and sneezing without covering the mouth can disperse droplets into the air, spreading the virus.

* Touching or shaking hands with a person that has the virus can pass the virus from one person to another.

* Making contact with a surface or object that has the virus and then touching your nose, eyes, or mouth.

* On rare occasions, a coronavirus may spread through contact with feces.

How to protect yourself:

There are currently no vaccines available to protect onselffrom human coronavirus infection n. You may be able to reduce your risk of infection by doing the following

* wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds

* avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands

* avoid close contact with people who are sick

How to protect others

If you have cold-like symptoms, you can help protect others by doing the following

* stay home while you are sick

* avoid close contact with others

* cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, then throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands

* clean and disinfect objects and surfaces

Treatment

There are no specific treatments for illnesses caused by human coronaviruses. Most people with common human coronavirus illness will recover on their own. However, you can do some things to relieve your symptoms

* take pain and fever medications (Caution: do not give Aspirin to children)

* use a room humidifier or take a hot shower to help ease a sore throat and cough

* If you are mildly sick, you should

* drink plenty of liquids

* stay home and rest

If you are concerned about your symptoms, you should see your healthcare provider