In the early 2000s, a disease called severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) broke out. The virus originally appeared in China but within months, it had spread to over two dozen counties in North America, South America, Asia, and Europe. But by the time this global outbreak was contained, it had infected about 8,000 people and killed 800 people worldwide.
Now there is a new virus, the Wuhan Coronavirus. It is similar to SARS and attacks your respiratory system. It too appeared in China and had spread to other countries. But unlike SARS the coronavirus has infected about 80,000 people and killed at least 2,700 people. Everyone is doing all they can to help and prevent the virus. China has built many hospitals and has ordered a lockdown. Many flights, trains, and buses have been canceled from major cities.
There was confusion at the beginning about where the virus came from. Scientists couldn’t figure it out. It seems as though the virus may have started from an animal that was consumed. In China, they eat a variety of exotic food, such as bats, pigeons, and snakes.
This serious virus has many people worried about their lives. A cruise ship called the “Royal Carribean” is not letting anyone with a passport from China, Hong Kong, and Macau board their ship. Not only cruise ships, but some countries have also closed their borders to visitors coming from the mainland of China. Plus, many hotels and ships have started quarantining thousands of their visitors. The virus spreads fast and many safety precautions are being held to eliminate any further spreading.
Starting in February, hospitals have started to bring in patients and enrolling them in a clinical trial of remdesivir, a test drug that was used in infected mice and monkeys. The trial suggested that it could help fight the coronavirus, but this is not a confirmed cure, although it appears to be safe. Researchers are doing all they can to solve this awful virus. For example, some are growing the virus in a lab to study it. For the first time, an Austrian lab started to grow it from samples from one of their patients outside of China. This allows researchers to find closer details and a possible cure.