According to the World Health Organization (WHO), coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). These viruses were originally transmitted from animals to people. SARS, for in- stance, was transmitted from civet cats to humans while MERS moved to humans from a type of camel.
According to the WHO, signs of infection include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Other signs include loss of taste or smell as well as muscle aches. In more severe cases, it can lead to pneumonia, multiple organ failure or even death. Current estimates of the incubation period – the time between infection and the onset of symptoms range from one to 14 days. Most infected people show symptoms within five to six days. However, infected patients can also be asymptomatic, meaning they do not display any symptoms despite having the virus in their systems.
According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), older people are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19. People who have severe underlying medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes also seem to be at high risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 illness.
