What is Coronavirus, the deadly virus from China?

A coronavirus outbreak has caused hundreds of illnesses and 17 deaths in China. Now, there has been confirmed case of the infection in the U.S. of a patient returning to Washington state from Wuhan, China.

This type of coronavirus was originally thought to be spread from animals to people, but “there are growing indications that person-to-person spread is happening. However, It’s unclear how easily this virus is spreading between people.

Here, everything you need to know about coronavirus:

What is coronavirus, exactly?

Human coronavirus is pretty common throughout the world. There are seven different types, and many of them cause colds. However, two newer types can cause severe illness.

What are the symptoms of coronavirus?

They’re actually really similar to symptoms of the flu. People with coronavirus may have a runny nose, headache, cough, sore throat, fever, and generally feel sick. Coronavirus can also cause lower-respiratory tract infections like pneumonia or bronchitis.

The overlap with flu symptoms “makes coronavirus difficult to diagnose, and the average person can’t tell the difference between the two. And, it’s possible for some people to have no symptoms at all.

People can die from coronavirus when they develop complications like respiratory failure or hypoxia (a condition where your body doesn’t get enough oxygen) secondary to pneumonia. Some people have had myocarditis, which is inflammation of the heart. People who are immunocompromised, the very young, and the elderly are the most at risk of serious complications of coronavirus.

How is coronavirus treated?

As of now, there’s no specific treatment for coronavirus. Instead, doctors are treating the symptoms and offering supportive care.

How worried should you be about coronavirus?

Hundreds of people in China have been infected with coronavirus and hospitalized.