With the news changing literally by the hour most days, it can be hard to keep track of the latest — or to know what’s important to keep track of. To help you navigate the endless updates and keep your news intake contained, we’ve started a daily digest on the latest national and global news about COVID-19, the official name for the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The virus that causes COVID-19 appears to have originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. Chinese health officials suspect that the outbreak began at a large seafood and animal market there, suggesting that the virus began as an animal-to-person spread, according to the CDC, and then began to transmit from person-to-person. “The major source of the virus is thought to be this live animal market, which has subsequently closed,” says William Schaffner, MD, professor of preventive medicine in the department of health policy at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee.The virus is believed to spread in a similar way to flu viruses: via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes, according to the CDC. These droplets can be inhaled or ingested via the mouths or noses of people in close contact with the infected person. Close contact is defined by the CDC as “being within approximately six feet (two meters) of a COVID-19 case for a prolonged period of time.” This can include “living with, visiting, or sharing a healthcare waiting area or room” with a COVID-19 case." Community transmission, in which a person infected with the disease had no known contact with another infected person, has also been a major factor. And some carriers of the virus appear to be asymptomatic. RELATED: Scientists Fast-Track Research for Coronavirus Treatment and Vaccine During a SARS outbreak between November 2002 and July 2003, there were 8,098 probable cases reported to the WHO, including 29 cases from the United States, according to the CDC. There were also 774 SARS-related deaths, none of them among the U.S. cases. Coronaviruses commonly circulate in animals, which experts estimate are responsible for about 60 percent of human infectious diseases, noted an article published in March 2018 in TuftsNow. When a virus is transmitted between animals and humans, it’s called a spillover event. In fact, some researchers believe that the new strain may have been passed from bats to humans via an intermediary animal, the pangolin. “Although these viruses have similarities, it’s like an extended family. You can distinguish among your different cousins even though they are part of the same family,” says Schaffner. “This new virus is part of the ‘family,’ but we’re just beginning to learn about how much it’s the same or different from these other coronaviruses.”
Wash your hands frequently. Hand-washing should use soap and water, and should last at least 20 seconds.When you cannot wash your hands, use a hand sanitizer that’s at least 60 percent alcohol and rub for at least 20 seconds.Practice social distancing, maintaining a six-foot distance between you and others, particularly anyone who may be coughing or sneezing, as respiratory droplets can transmit the virus.If you are coughing or sneezing, practice good respiratory hygiene by doing so into a tissue, which should then be immediately disposed of. If no tissue is available, you can also sneeze into your upper sleeve, notes the CDC (but avoid sneezing into your hands).Avoid touching your face, as the virus is easily transmitted through orifices including the eyes, nose, and mouth.If you are sick, stay home.If you have a fever, cough, or difficulty breathing, call your healthcare provider to discuss your symptoms and see what they recommend regarding seeking care, as the virus can be transmitted through close contact in areas such as waiting rooms.
Additional reporting by Laura McArdle and Becky Upham.
