What Is A Novel Coronavirus? Health Officials Explain
SEATTLE, WA — A Snohomish County man was diagnosed this weekend with a "novel coronavirus," becoming the first known U.S. case connected to a growing outbreak in China. Health officials have been tracking the illness globally since it emerged in Wuhan, China last month. More than 300 infections have been confirmed in the time since, including six cases that led to death.
Because the virus is so new, doctors and scientists are still working to develop a full picture of how it behaves.
Here are some answers from Dr. Jeff Duchin — the health officer for King County Public Health — and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
What is a coronavirus?
According to the CDC, coronaviruses are part of a large family of viruses that cause illnesses both in humans and animals. In rare cases, animal coronaviruses can evolve to infect people. The new virus is officially referred to as "2019 novel coronavirus" or "2019-nCoV."
How does this new virus spread?
Researchers around the globe are still determining precisely how the virus spreads. Many patients in the Wuhan outbreak had visited a large seafood and animal market, but a growing number of patients have no connection. The CDC said that indicates limited person-to-person is possible — but it remains unknown how easily it spreads between people. Illnesses have been confirmed outside of China in Thailand, Japan, South Korea and one case United States.
How severe are the symptoms?
Most coronaviruses cause mild respiratory illnesses, similar to the common cold, and a fever. Some can be more severe, like SARS and MERS. Researchers do not know how long symptoms appear after an initial exposure.
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