Coronavirus

Context

• It is a New virus identified by Chinese researchers.
• It was responsible for a new pneumonia-like illness that has swept Wuhan since last month leaving 59 ill and created panic.

Key Facts

• Coronaviruses are a specific family of viruses, with some of them causing less-severe damage such as the common cold, and other causing respiratory and intestinal diseases.
• A Coronavirus has many "regularly arranged" protrusions on its surface, because of which the entire virus particle looks like an emperor's crown, hence the name 'coronavirus'.
• Apart from human beings, coronavirus can affect mammals including pigs, cattle, cats, dogs, camel, and some birds.

So far, there are four unknown disease-causing coronaviruses, among which the best known are the SARS coronavirus and the middle east respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus, both of which can cause severe respiratory disease.