What is Coronavirus?

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Coronavirus has been going around spreading since December 2019. Before we go into what coronavirus is, we first need to know what a virus is. A virus is a microscopic particle that is not alive but needs to infect the living cells of a host organism to reproduce. Viruses can infect all types of life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms like bacteria. 

Coronavirus is officially known as SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) and causes COVID-19 (COronaVIrus Disease 2019) when inside a human host. COVID-19 is a respiratory illness with symptoms including fever, a persistent dry cough, sore throat and shortness of breath. In some cases, it has been reported to cause a lack of smell and taste. The virus is extremely contagious and can spread from person to person.

One may have the virus for 1 to 14 days before developing symptoms. The most common symptoms are fever, fatigue, and a dry cough. Most people (about 80%) recover from the disease without needing special treatment. However, it is still necessary to take precaution because the virus is highly infectious and potentially deadly. Older people and those with other medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease or cancer), may be more vulnerable to becoming severely ill. Therefore, it is important that even if you have a smooth recovery, the people around you and those in your family may experience the disease more severely.

Source: Australian Government Department of Health

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