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Currently, the world is experiencing a pandemic of an infectious disease called coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19. Latest facts on Coronavirus Covid-19 have shown that COVID-19 is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and is part of a large family of coronaviruses (CoV). That answers the question, what is the coronavirus caused by?

Coronaviruses are transmitted from animals to people, with this particular strain of coronavirus thought to have originated from a seafood market in the city of Wuhan in China in late December of 2019. Symptoms of COVID-19 resemble that of the common cold, with those infected often experiencing fever, coughing, and shortness of breath. However, infection can lead to pneumonia, multi-organ failure, severe acute respiratory syndrome, and even death, in more severe cases. The elderly and those with preexisting chronic health conditions have accounted for the majority of deaths from COVID-19.

Statistic: Number of cumulative cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) worldwide from January 22 to March 23, 2020, by day | StatistaAs of May 7, 2020, there had been cases of the disease in around 210 countries or territories across 6 continents. China was initially the country most impacted by the disease, however the United States, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, and France now have the most cases worldwide. As of this time, there had been over 3.8 million cases of COVID-19 worldwide, with over 1.2 million of these cases found in the United States. Many countries around the world are now enforcing lockdowns to try to slow the spread of the disease. Such measures and restrictions vary from country to country but usually involve closing schools, canceling public events, closing borders, and encouraging people to work from home.

From the records, Latest facts on Coronavirus Covid-19 has shown that the United States now has the highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths of any country worldwide. Every U.S. state has reported cases of COVID-19, with the state of New York accounting for the vast majority of cases. New York State now has more COVID-19 cases than any single country worldwide. Survey data shows that concern about the COVID-19 pandemic has increased in the United States, with 32 percent of U.S. adults in January stating they were very concerned about the outbreak and this number rising to 58 percent as of April 19. It is estimated that over 90 percent of the population of the United States is now under a stay-at-home order, with many states closing schools, restaurants and other entertainment venues, canceling public events, and encouranging social distancing. The United States government has been criticized for initially downplaying the seriousness of the pandemic and for its slow response as cases began to rise in the U.S. A recent survey from Statista has found that U.S. adults are less likely to be satisfied with their national government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic than their counterparts in the United Kingdom or Germany.

Statistic: Number of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) confirmed cases and deaths as of March 23, 2020, by region | StatistaAs of May 7, 2020, there had been around 265,800 deaths due to the virus, with the United States reporting the highest number of deaths of any country worldwide, followed by Italy and the United Kingdom. As of March 6, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) had estimated the crude mortality rate of COVID-19 to be between three and four percent. However, it is now thought that the mortality rate is most likely lower than this estimate, although the true mortality rate is difficult to determine as of this time. Nevertheless, this rate is higher than that of seasonal influenza, usually well below .1 percent, but lower than rates of other recent virus outbreaks. For example, the Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (MERS-CoV), first reported in 2012, has a fatality rate of 34.4 percent, while severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (SARS) has a rate of 9.6 percent.

Multiple organizations around the world are currently working on a vaccine for COVID-19, but it is difficult to tell just how long it will take until one is available to the public. Until then, the World Health Organization (WHO) has encouraged those living in regions with infections to take basic precautionary measures such as regularly washing hands, covering the mouth and nose with a bent elbow when coughing and sneezing, and avoiding contact with people who may be infected. This is however not an exhaustive list of what to do if you get coronavirus.

Aside from the obvious impacts on human health, the COVID-19 pandemic has also greatly impacted the global economy, negatively effecting industries such as the global financial sector, sports, and tourism. An increasing share of people worldwide believe COVID-19 poses a very high or high level of threat to their country and a growing percentage of people fear the outbreak will personally impact them financially. The impact of the pandemic on the global economy has already begun to show, however the true consequences of the pandemic are yet to be seen as case numbers continue to rise in many countries around the world.

You can also find the latest facts on Coronavirus Covid-19 including weekly update on COVID-19 as updated by The World Health Organisation (WHO) when you visit https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronaviruses-2019/situation-reports