Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that can cause illnesses such as the common cold, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). In 2019, a new coronavirus was identified as the cause of a disease outbreak in China.
The virus is now known as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The disease it causes is called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Cases of COVID-19 have been reported in a growing number of countries, including the U.S. Public health groups, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are monitoring the situation and posting updates on their websites. These groups have also issued recommendations for preventing and treating the illness.
Incubation period
This is when the virus is establishing itself.
Viruses work by getting inside the cells your body is made of and then hijacking them.
The coronavirus, officially called Sars-CoV-2, can invade your body when you breathe it in (after someone coughs nearby) or you touch a contaminated surface and then your face.
It first infects the cells lining your throat, airways and lungs and turns them into "coronavirus factories" that spew out huge numbers of new viruses that go on to infect yet more cells.
At this early stage, you will not be sick and some people may never develop symptoms.
The incubation period, the time between infection and first symptoms appearing, varies widely, but is five days on average.
Mild disease
This is all most people will experience.
Covid-19 is a mild infection for eight out of 10 people who get it and the core symptoms are a fever and a cough.
Body aches, sore throat and a headache are all possible, but not guaranteed.
The fever, and generally feeling grotty, is a result of your immune system responding to the infection. It has recognised the virus as a hostile invader and signals to the rest of the body something is wrong by releasing chemicals called cytokines.
These rally the immune system, but also cause the body aches, pain and fever.
The coronavirus cough is initially a dry one (you're not bringing stuff up) and this is probably down to irritation of cells as they become infected by the virus.
Some people will eventually start coughing up sputum - a thick mucus containing dead lung cells killed by the virus.
These symptoms are treated with bed rest, plenty of fluids and paracetamol. You won't need specialist hospital care.
This stage lasts about a week - at which point most recover because their immune system has fought off the virus.
However, some will develop a more serious form of Covid-19.
This is the best we understand at the moment about this stage, however, there are studiesemerging that suggest the disease can cause more cold-like symptoms such as a runny nose too.
Severe disease
If the disease progresses it will be due to the immune system overreacting to the virus.
Those chemical signals to the rest of the body cause inflammation, but this needs to be delicately balanced. Too much inflammation can cause collateral damage throughout the body.
"The virus is triggering an imbalance in the immune response, there's too much inflammation, how it is doing this we don't know," said Dr Nathalie MacDermott, from King's College London.
Inflammation of the lungs is called pneumonia.
If it was possible to travel through your mouth down the windpipe and through the tiny tubes in your lungs, you'd eventually end up in tiny little air sacs.
This is where oxygen moves into the blood and carbon dioxide moves out, but in pneumonia the tiny sacs start to fill with water and can eventually cause shortness of breath and difficulty breathing.
Some people will need a ventilator to help them breathe.
This stage is thought to affect around 14% of people, based on data from China.
Critical disease
It is estimated around 6% of cases become critically ill.
By this point the body is starting to fail and there is a real chance of death.
The problem is the immune system is now spiralling out of control and causing damage throughout the body.
It can lead to septic shock when the blood pressure drops to dangerously low levels and organs stop working properly or fail completely.
Acute respiratory distress syndrome caused by widespread inflammation in the lungs stops the body getting enough oxygen it needs to survive. It can stop the kidneys from cleaning the blood and damage the lining of your intestines.
"The virus sets up such a huge degree of inflammation that you succumb... it becomes multi-organ failure," Dr Bharat Pankhania said.
And if the immune system cannot get on top of the virus, then it will eventually spread to every corner of the body where it can cause even more damage.
Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of COVID-19 may appear two to 14 days after exposure and can include:
Fever
Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
The severity of COVID-19 symptoms can range from very mild to severe. People who are older or have existing medical conditions, such as heart disease, may be at higher risk of serious illness. This is similar to what is seen with other respiratory illnesses, such as influenza.
When to see a doctor
Contact your doctor right away if you have COVID-19 symptoms and you've possibly been exposed to the virus. Tell your doctor if you've recently traveled internationally. Call your doctor ahead to tell him or her about your symptoms and recent travels and possible exposure before you go to your appointment.
Causes
It's unclear exactly how contagious the new coronavirus is. It appears to be spreading from person to person among those in close contact. It may be spread by respiratory droplets released when someone with the virus coughs or sneezes.
Risk factors
Risk factors for COVID-19 appear to include:
Recent travel from or residence in an area with ongoing spread of COVID-19 as determined by CDC or WHO
Close contact with someone who has COVID-19 — such as when a family member or health care worker takes care of an infected person
Prevention
Practice everyday prevention
As you touch people, surfaces and objects throughout the day, you accumulate germs on your hands. You can infect yourself with these germs by touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
To protect yourself, wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water aren't available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
Although there is no vaccine available to prevent infection with the new coronavirus, you can take steps to reduce your risk of infection. WHO and CDC recommend following the standard precautions for avoiding respiratory viruses:
Wash your hands often with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Cover your mouth and nose with your elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth if your hands aren't clean.
Avoid close contact with anyone who is sick.
Avoid sharing dishes, glasses, bedding and other household items if you're sick.
Clean and disinfect surfaces you often touch.
Stay home from work, school and public areas if you're sick.
CDC doesn't recommend that healthy people wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. Only wear a mask if a health care provider tells you to do so.
WHO also recommends that you:
Avoid eating raw or undercooked meat or animal organs.
Avoid contact with live animals and surfaces they may have touched if you're visiting live markets in areas that have recently had new coronavirus cases.
Travel
If you're planning to travel internationally, first check the CDC and WHO websites for updates and advice. Also look for any health advisories that may be in place where you plan to travel. You may also want to talk with your doctor if you have health conditions that make you more susceptible to respiratory infections and complications.
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