What is the Coronavirus?

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) belongs to a family of viruses known as the Coronaviruses, which can cause illnesses ranging from the common colds to more severe diseases, such as the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). The COVID-19 infections started in China but confirmed infections have also been reported in Singapore, Iran, Italy and other parts of the world. The symptoms of COVID-19 are like that of regular pneumonia. Typical symptoms include:

• fever.

• runny nose.

• sore throat.

• cough.

• shortness of breath.