What we know so far about the coronavirus

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of the new coronavirusan emergency of "international concern" on Jan. 30, after it wasfirst reported from Wuhan, China, late last year.Canadian officials stress that the risk of contracting the virus in this country remains low. But Canadians are worried and want information about the disease.

Here are the latest developments:

• China on Wednesday reported another drop in the number of new cases of theviral infection and 97 more deaths, pushing the total dead past 1,100.
• The illness has a new name: COVID-19.
• Despite the official end of the extended Lunar New Year holiday, many businesses in China remainclosed.
• Japan's health ministry has confirmed 174 cases aboard Carnival Corp.'s Diamond Princess, which is docked in Yokohama.

What is a coronavirus?

Coronavirusesarea large family of viruses. They cause a range of illness, including the common cold, pneumonia, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV), Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV) andCOVID-19,the illness at the centre of the current outbreak.

The group responsible for classifying and namingviruses has tentatively called the virus 2019-nCoVnot to be confused withCOVID-19, the illness caused by the virus.

WATCH | Ashortvideo answeringmany of the main questions:

What we actually know about the coronavirus

5 years ago

Duration 5:10

Information about the coronavirus outbreak is spreading fast, but what do we actually know about the illness? CBC News medical contributor and family physician Dr. Peter Lin breaks down the facts about what it is, where it came from, how it spreads and what you can do to protect yourself.

• Follow the spread of this new coronavirus on this interactive map

The symptoms

The initial symptoms are mainly fever, with a few reports of people having difficulty breathing, and chest X-rays showing signs of pneumonia in both lungs.

The WHO says signs of infection can include respiratory complaints, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe respiratory problems, kidney failure and even death.

• Read more about the symptoms here
• Are your kids worried about the coronavirus? Show them this

Low risk for Canadians

Dr. Michael Gardam, an infectious disease specialist in Toronto, explains why Canadians don't need to panic. He says this coronavirus is not as contagious as influenza, nor as dangerous as SARS.

Dr. Michael Gardam on coronavirus risk

5 years ago

Duration 0:46

Infectious disease specialist says risk to Canadians is low

What to do if you think you've been exposed

If you think you have been exposed to the coronavirus for example, if you have travelled toWuhan or Hubeiprovince and are having symptoms the Public Health Agency of Canada advises avoiding contact with others and following up with your health-care professional.

This story explains what you should do to avoid spreading the infection to anyone else as you seek medical help.

Preventing the spread

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, coronaviruses are most commonly spread by:

• Coughing or sneezing.
• Close personal contact, such as shaking hands.
• Touching an object or surface with the virus on it and then touching your mouth, eyes or nose.

To prevent infection:

• Washyour hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds oruse an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoidtouching your eyes, noseand mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick, and stay home if you are sick.

Read more about symptoms and prevention here.

A vaccine

CBC News got access to the high-security lab in Saskatchewan where scientists are working to develop a vaccine.

Where this coronaviruscame from

One of the main ways scientists can figure out how to prevent the spread of an infectious disease is to zero in on its animal host and how it jumped from that animal to a person.

According to Kerry Bowman,a bioethicist who teaches medical students about environmental change and human health at the University of Toronto, "if we don't deal with the heart of the problem where these things can emerge, it could easily happen again."

You canread more about why it is so crucial for scientists to figure out the animal source of the coronavirushere.

Battling misinformation

It has become too common for misinformation to spread on social media, which in turn causes fear and panic. It's happening with the coronavirus outbreak.

WATCH | Tips to protect yourself from getting and spreading false information about the coronavirus:

Coronavirus misinformation floods social media

5 years ago

Duration 2:09

Officials are reminding people to get information about coronavirus from credible sources after large amounts of misinformation about the illness was spread on social media.

Should you wear a mask?

The short answer is it depends.

Are you sick? Wear a mask.

Are you trying to keep from getting sick? A mask probably won't help.

WATCH | The full explanation:

Will wearing a mask protect you from the coronavirus?

5 years ago

Duration 2:27

You see more people wearing them in public, but will wearing a face mask really protect you from the coronavirus?

Travel to China

The Canadian government is warning against all travel to the coronavirus-affected regionof China.

Air Canada is among the airlinesthat have suspended flights to parts of China.

What about Canadians in China?

A second Canadian flight repatriating people from Hubei province landed this week at CFB Trenton.

The first Canadian charter flight carried out 174 Canadians and their family members, who are now undergoing a two-week quarantine at the military base in Trenton, Ont.