Source: https://www.healthline.com/
The past couple of weeks have been ablaze with worries about a brand new and deadly disease that seems to be rapidly spreading all over the world called the Wuhan Coronavirus, having originated from the city of Wuhan in mainland China. But what many don’t realize is that this isn’t the first time that the coronavirus has wreaked havoc around the world. While the very first case was said to have appeared back in the 1960s, it truly only became catastrophic when it was identified as SARS (Sever Acute Respiratory Syndrome) in 2002, and MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) in 2012, both established as different types of coronavirus.
So what exactly is coronavirus? Simply explained, coronavirus is a specific species of virus that can cause illnesses as simple as a common cold, or mutate into something much more deadly, like what it did with MERS and SARS. When viewed underneath a microscope, it looks like a circle surrounded by a crown, which is how it got its name in the first place. And while it used to be quite uncommon for this virus to affect both animals and humans alike, it would seem that this is no longer the case. But much like other viruses, because it can infect any of your mucous membranes including the eyes, nose, mouth and other areas in the body, it is spread via infected people dispersing the virus when they sneeze, cough, or touch things like doorknobs and countertops when they leave the virus behind, or even just by touching others. Even worse, it can spread more quickly when the virus is contained in an enclosed area like an airplane, subway, train, and other such sealed places, since the virus has the ability to survive in an area for up to 5 days.
While the coronavirus is said to have flu-like symptoms, more recently, there have been some cases where it has caused much more serious pneumonia-like manifestations. Unfortunately there is no test to check for the virus, no vaccine to prevent it and no actual medicine to treat it. And what makes it even more threatening is that people can be infected with the virus for up to 5 days without showing any symptoms or signs at all. In order to better understand what to watch out for, here are 12 signs and symptoms of coronavirus.
1. Overall Feeling Of Being Unwell
Since many of the signs of coronavirus are like having flu-like symptoms, an overall feeling of being unwell is one of the first things that patients notice. It’s usually a general sense of malaise, feeling “blah,” and just not knowing exactly what the problem is, but knowing that you aren’t feeling like your normal self. Although it’s difficult to pinpoint whether you’re starting to feel sick due to coronavirus, when it is accompanied by other signs on this list, then there is a possibility that it could be due to this very serious illness.
