The outbreak of coronavirus has led many people to change their travel plans and restrictions have been put on passengers who could be potential carriers of the disease. 

So far, 81 deaths and 2,700 cases have officially been reported. This has lead China to seal Hubei that is in the country’s center and is expected to curb this epidemic. 

What is this virus called?

China has confirmed that this belongs to the coronavirus family which is yet to be identified. Earlier in 2002, Sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome) was reported and resulted in an outbreak, which was also a coronavirus.. 

What symptoms should we keep an eye on?

Once the virus has been contracted, the person may experience  dry cough along with fever and nearly a week after, the person may experience breathing problems. However the common cold is not included in the list of its symptoms. 

What is the source of this virus?

It is likely to come from the animal reservoir but no confirmation has been given so far.  Sars virus source was recognized to be bat which passed on from civet cats to humans. 

How can we prevent it from spreading?

The virus was not spreading between people initially but now it has been reported that it may spread through contact. To prevent that from happening, the best way is to keep a distance from the infected person and not share belongings etc. 

There are no vaccines for this virus at the moment, though drug development is in the works and anti-viral drugs are being tested to know if they can show any improvement in affected people.