Reading The Novel Coronavirus

The new year began with a shocking start for everyone as the infectious 2019 novel coronavirus swallowed China and the rest of the world. While China remains the country hardest hit by the outbreak, several countries across Europe, North America and especially the Asia-Pacific have been reporting hundreds or even thousands of cases, with the worldwide total surpassing 100,000 by early March.

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Rejecting the Crown: The Coronavirus Pandemic

The label “Made in China” is perhaps preferred in association with the nation’s consumer goods. Its notorious export at present, however, is SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that struck in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019.

A novel coronavirus (CoV) refers to a new strain of coronavirus that has not been previously identified in humans. The new coronavirus, now named SARSCoV-2, had not previously been detected before the outbreak was reported in Wuhan, China in December 2019.

Originating in a Wuhan wildlife market, the associated disease, called COVID-19, has become more widespread than the 2002– 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak, which also originated in China. While SARS-CoV-2 is from the same family of viruses as the SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV), it is not the same virus.