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In which countries has the coronavirus been detected? 1:59
(CNN Spanish) - The outbreak of the coronavirus that has infected more than 300 people, claimed the lives of at least six, and crossing borders to the United States has alarms on around the world. And, of course, many have turned to Google to find answers about the strange virus that appeared last month in the city of Wuhan, China, and it didn't take long to spread across Asia. These are the most searched questions on the platform about the infection ... and the answers.
- Check out our coronavirus special here
Global search interest for “coronavirus symptoms” has spiked + 1,050% this week. 😷 Here are the top searched questions in the past 24 hours. # Coronavirus #GoogleTrends pic.twitter.com/bPVsL3hCYW
- GoogleTrends (@GoogleTrends) January 21, 2020
1. What is a coronavirus?
Coronaviruses are common throughout the world, can infect and make people sick, as explained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “Human coronaviruses commonly cause mild to moderate diseases in people around the world. It is known that two new human coronaviruses, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV, frequently cause serious diseases, ”says the entity.
- READ: What you should know about coronavirus, the disease that spreads throughout Asia
So what is this new outbreak that health authorities have alerted? It's called 2019-nCoV and has caused an outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan, according to the CDC. In addition, there are more than 300 people diagnosed with this disease. He was identified on January 9, 2020 by the World Health Organization.
2. Is the coronavirus deadly?
The most direct answer is a simple "yes": it has already claimed the lives of at least six people. However, it has not shown mortality rates such as severe acute respiratory syndrome, better known as SARS, which infected more than 8,000 people and killed 774 in a pandemic that swept through Asia in 2002 and 2003. Now, a new study Imperial College London suggests that it is possible that the number of infections in Wuhan has been underestimated.
3. How to prevent coronavirus?
The CDC warns that there are no coronavirus vaccines. However, there are measures you can apply to reduce the risk of infection:
- Wash your hands well for at least 20 seconds, and do it frequently
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth without washing your hands
- Avoid close contact with people who may be infected
- LOOK: Dr. Huerta on the coronavirus: "The most worrying thing is that they have ensured the spread of humans to humans"
4. How is coronavirus spread?
The Chinese health authorities have confirmed that the coronavirus can be transmitted from one person to another and not only from animals to humans. According to the team leader of the National Health Commission of China to investigate the outbreak, it has been possible to establish that at least two cases were transmitted among humans and that medical staff members were also infected.
- READ: What are the symptoms of Wuhan coronavirus, how can you protect yourself and what is the treatment?
The CDC indicates that human coronaviruses are usually spread in four ways:
- Through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes
- For personal contact with someone who has the virus, such as touching or shaking hands
- By touching an object or surface infected with the virus and then running your hands through your mouth, nose or eyes before washing them
- And, rarely, faecal contamination
5. Where does the coronavirus come from?
The coronavirus outbreak originated last month in Wuhan, the largest city in central China and a major transportation hub. The authorities in that country have linked viral infections with a seafood and wildlife market in Wuhan, which has been closed since January 1 to prevent further spread of the disease.
- MIRA: This is the market where the coronavirus would have originated
On January 8, scientists from China identified the pathogen as a new strain of coronavirus from the same SARS family. While the exact source of the virus is still unclear, preliminary research shows that it could come from wild animals sold in a seafood market, and like bamboo rats and badgers. In fact, the CDC explains that coronaviruses that infect animals can evolve and become a human coronavirus. Precisely, the Chinese authorities have said that there is a transmission from person to person.
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