Viruses are a kind of infectious agents which are incapable of reproducing on their own that is why they reproduce by making use of the cells of other living beings, that’s what makes them different from other pathogens.What is Corona Virus? They are the smallest kind of pathogens. Virus are the cause of several diseases which infect human beings such as common cold, dengue, ebola, HIV, swine flu, small pox, influenza, hepatitis, etc.
One such deadly virus is much talked about these days which has caused more than 1300 deaths worldwide. It is ‘Coronavirus’, which originated in Wuhan, China and has spread to several other countries too. India has also reported three cases so far.
Coronaviruses are a big group of viruses. These are found in animals and hence are called ‘zoonotic’ by researchers. It means that these viruses are transmitted to humans from animals and cause a wide range of diseases ranging from mildest common cold to serious respiratory problems. The word ‘corona’ is taken from a latin word ‘corona’ which means crown. It has been given this name due to its resemblance with a literal crown.
The symptoms of coronavirus are similar to those of pneumonia that is cold, cough and fever. According to scientists, coronavirus is not just a single virus but, it is a very big group of viruses out of which not all viruses are deadly or dangerous. But, some coronaviruses can cause serious ailments. Two such viruses are Middle East Respiratory Syndrome and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome commonly known as MERS and SARS respectively. MERS was first encountered in Saudi Arabia in 2012. It then gradually spread into other countries of Africa, Asia and Europe. SARS virus was first witnessed in 2003 due to which 700 people lost their lives and thousands got infected worldwide.
What is Corona Virus?
After 2015, there were no signs of coronavirus anywhere in the world. But in December 2019, the WHO recognized a new coronavirus called novel coronavirus and which is as deadly as SARS virus. It can cause severe diseases and even lead to death. According to WHO, this virus has been linked to a seafood market in Wuhan in Hubei province of China. It is notable that not only humans are infected by it but also, several animals such as camels, cats, pigs etc. This virus can be transmitted from animals to humans or humans to humans through infection.
