Corona-viruses are a large family of viruses that are known to cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome(SARS).What is SARS-CoV-2?
SARS-CoV-2 is a new strain of corona-virus that has not been previously identified in humans.Where do corona-viruses come from?Corona-viruses are viruses that circulate among animals with some of them also known to infect humans.Bats are considered as natural hosts of these viruses yet several other species of animals are also known to be a source.
More information on corona-viruses can be found on the ECDC fact-sheet.Is this virus comparable to SARS or to the seasonal flu?The novel corona-virus detected in China is genetically closely related to the SARS-CoV-1 virus.
SARS emerged at the end of 2002 in China, and it caused more than 8 000 cases in 33 countries over a period of eight months.
The current COVID-19 outbreak caused around 7 000 reported cases in China during the first month after initial reports (January 2020), with a further 80 000 cases reported globally during the second month (February 2020).
While the viruses that cause both COVID-19 and seasonal influenza are transmitted from person-to-person and may cause similar symptoms, the two viruses are very different and do not behave in the same way.