Coronavirus is a virus that has never been encountered before. Believed to have originated from animals, it began in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, People’s Republic of China.

The virus began in the place with the highest population in Central China, meaning many people were exposed to it. With an incubation period of 14 days, many traveled without knowing they carried coronavirus. Because of this, cases of coronavirus have spread outside of China, reaching countries including the United States, Germany, Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam. The number of infections worldwide continues to grow and has now exceeded 4,500.

The virus is spread through droplets of saliva, mucous and bodily fluids, meaning coughing and sneezing can easily pass coronavirus on. This is done through people touching infected droplets and then touching their mouth, nose, eyes or face. It can also be picked up by breathing in contaminated droplets in the air.

Coronavirus causes pneumonia, resulting in issues with breathing, as well as symptoms of coughs and fevers in those infected. When the virus severely affects sufferers, their organs may fail, resulting in the deaths of more than 130 people already.

The problem with this being viral pneumonia is that antibiotics are not able to help those infected. The only real treatment is rest, assistance for the respiratory tract and lungs, and fluids to aid the body’s recovery. Essentially, the severity of coronavirus depends on each person’s immune system, dictating whether they are able to recover or not. In many of the cases where people have died from coronavirus, they have already been unwell, or susceptible to illness.

One of the main problems has been that people have not been prepared to deal with coronavirus, and masks to protect them have sold out in many places, however, you can easily find them online still.