On December 31, 2019, Chinese officials said that 27 people in Wuhan, the capital of Central China’s Hubei province, had been infected with a new strain of the corona virus. Since then, the number of cases of the contagious affliction labelled 2019-nCoV, or Wuhan virus, has rapidly increased, with new cases being reported daily.
On Thursday, January 30, 2020, The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a global emergency, highlighting the urgency for a rapid coordinated international response to curb this global health risk.
As of January 31, 2020, 7,711 instances of the infection, including 200 deaths, had been reported in China.
Additionally, about 100 people in 19 countries, including the United States, Germany, France, South Korea and Singapore, have also tested positive for the virus. The Wuhan virus, which has gripped the world's attention since the beginning of 2020.
What is a corona virus?
Corona viruses get their name from the crown-like spikes on the virus’ surface.
Corona viruses are a common cause of colds and other upper respiratory infections in humans and certain other mammals and birds. The microbes, which get their name from the crown-like ('corona' in Latin) spikes on their surface, are zoonotic, which means they can easily spread from one animal to another.
Every now and again, an animal corona virus mutates to infect humans, leading to contagious respiratory infections that have never been encountered before. This makes it harder for physicians to diagnose and cure and results in outbreaks similar to the one the world is currently undergoing.