WHO is a family of coronavirus viruses that cause serious illnesses ranging from the common cold to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).
These viruses first spread to animals and people. For example, while SARS was transmitted from cats to humans, MERS moved from one type of camel to another.
Most known coronaviruses are circulating in humans and non-infected animals.
The name coronavirus comes from the Latin word corona, meaning crown or halo. Under the electron microscope, the image of the virus looks like the solar corona.
The novel Coronavirus novel, identified by Chinese authorities and coVV-19 on January 7, is a new species not previously recognized in humans. Although man-to-man transmission is attested, little is known about it.
What are the symptoms?
According to WHO, there are fever, cough, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing.
In more severe cases, it can lead to pneumonia, multiple organ failure, and even death.
A WHO analysis of currently available data shows that 82 percent of cases are mild, 15 percent are progressive, and 3 percent are severe. Most fatal cases are in the elderly and those with underlying conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.
Read more about what coronavirus does to your body if you catch it.
Current estimates of the incubation period - the time between infection and the onset of symptoms - range from one to 12 days. Most infected people show symptoms within five to six days.
How serious is this?
With more than 1,800 deaths, deaths from this new coronavirus exceeded the 2002–2003 SARS outbreak, which was also produced in China.
Ninety percent of those infected with SARS died - more than 800 worldwide and more than 300 in China alone. Widespread non-spreading MERS is more lethal, affecting up to one third of them.
According to WHO, new coronaviruses are more widespread in China than SARS, with a mortality rate of 2 percent, according to WHO.
Read here about how dangerous the new virus is.
Interactive: The World's Worst Epidemic - 9 February 2020
Where did the cases come from?
There have been many cases and deaths in China - a large percentage of Hubei province.
Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Taiwan and France each reported one death from the new virus; These are the deaths that occur outside of mainland China.
The virus has spread to Asia, the Pacific, and Europe, North America, the Middle East and Africa. Most cases outside of China come from people who have recently traveled to the country, although cases of human-to-human transmission have been reported in many countries.
Read more about which countries have confirmed cases here.
What are you doing to stop it from spreading?
Scientists around the world are rushing to develop the vaccine, but warned it would not be available for mass distribution before 2021.
Meanwhile, Chinese authorities have effectively shut down Wuhan and banned travel to many other cities and places, affecting over six million people.
According to the state broadcaster, the move is aimed at "stopping the pace of infections" and saving lives, the central city special command center said.
Many international airlines canceled flights to China. Some countries have banned Chinese citizens from entering their territory, and many have expelled their citizens from Wuhan.
Where did the virus originate from?
Chinese health officials are still trying to determine the source of the virus, with wildlife from a seafood market in Wuhan also being trafficked.
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