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You’ll learn everything there is to know about the virus, so that you can better understand the nature of the risk and what you need to do about it.

Writers Note:

By the time this book reaches you more than 1,000,000 people will have been infected with the coronavirus. It has spread widely from its origin in China in just a few short months. Over 30,000 have already died. Our comprehensive guide for understanding and navigating this global public health threat is below.

This is a rapidly developing epidemic. You should be concerned and take this seriously. But you should not panic.

This is the mantra public health experts have adopted since the epidemic mushroomed in January-and it's about as comforting as it is easy to accomplish. But it's important that we all try.

This new coronavirus is unquestionably dangerous. It causes a disease called COVID-19, which can be deadly, particularly for older people and those with underlying health conditions. While the death rate among infected people is unclear, even some current low estimates are higher than that for seasonal influenza.

And the Coronavirus is circulating the globe. We are only starting to determine where it is and how far it has spread. Problems with federal testing have delayed our ability to detect infections in travelers. And as we work to catch up, the virus has kept moving. It's unclear if we will be able to get ahead of it and contain it; even if we can, it will take a lot of resources and effort to do it.

All that said, this new virus is not an existential threat. While it can be deadly, around 85 percent of cases are mild to moderate, and people recover within a week or two. Moreover, there are obvious, evidence-based actions we can take to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities overall.

Now is not the time for panic, which will only get in the way of what you need to be doing. While it's completely understandable to be worried, your best bet to getting through this unscathed is to channel that anxious energy into doing what you can to stop it from spreading.

And to do that, you first need to have the most complete, accurate information on the situation as you can. To that end, below is our best attempt to address all of the questions you might have about COVID-19.

Chapter 1: What is the Coronavirus?

Everything You Need to Know About This Frightening Disease

Every time a new disease appears in the news, it causes a mass panic as people understandably get scared that they may be at risk. Suddenly, every sniff and every cough is placed under minute scrutiny. The latest outbreak to hit the news is the Coronavirus, and once again, this has caused a huge amount of fear and uncertainty. Again, this is understandable.

The coronavirus is a disease that spreads quickly, now with over 1,000,000 cases in 192 countries!

While it isn't generally a fatal disease, it has already taken more than 30,000 lives. Coronavirus is more widespread than the SARS virus ever became, and it is showing no signs of slowing down. Gradually, it's making its way around the globe.

But is there really cause for such alarm? While the coronavirus is certainly scary, and definitely not to be taken lightly, it is also is important to maintain a sense of perspective.

The NEWS won't tell you that COMMON Flu kills on average 1,200 people every day worldwide, simply because we live with this fact, so it doesn't sell any newspapers.
China where it all started has over 81,000 confirmed cases & 3,32 dead as of this writing. Italy now battles with 115,242 cases with over 18,000 dead (mainly because of elderly average population & 2 decades of neglected health care investments).

In the United States, there are 245,000 cases of the virus & 6,095 deaths.

I think you get the picture. It's bad out there.

Worldwide there have been just over 53,236 deaths caused by the disease. Coronavirus is most comparable to the flu, in terms of its symptoms and the way it spreads. And just like the flu, it is mostly dangerous to those populations already considered at risk: the elderly, very young, or previously unwell.

Statistically, your chances of getting the coronavirus with life threatening complications are extremely low - lower than winning the lottery or getting struck by lightning. But while this is true, it's also extremely important that we prepare for what seems to become become a more widespread problem, that we know how to protect ourselves, and that we understand this event that is of huge global significance.

What is Coronavirus?

The Coronavirus is not a single virus but actually a "family" of viruses that are known to cause a wide number of different illnesses. These coronaviruses (CoV) symptoms can range from the common cold, all the way to more serious flu-like diseases or MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome).

Contrary to popular belief then, the coronavirus is not a "new" virus. In fact, the SARS virus that previously dominated headlines is actually a form of coronavirus. The CoV virus that we are currently hearing about in the news, is actually the "novel coronavirus" or (nCoV) which is a strain that has not previously been detected in humans.

The name coronavirus comes from the Latin corona, which stands for corwn, or halo. This describes the appearance of the viral particles (virions) which have a protein coating called a capsid

As with any virus, the difficulty with treating this condition, is that it is known to mutate rapidly, thereby making effective vaccinations or treatments difficulty.

Viruses are different from bacteria. Viruses are smaller and cannot live without a living host. They operate by attaching themselves to cells, and then reprogramming those cells to reproduce. Whereas many bacteria are actually harmless and even beneficial, the vast majority of viruses are harmful to us and are responsible for conditions such as strep throat, tuberculosis, and UTIs. Of course, viruses are also well- known to cause the common cold, and the flu.

Whereas antibiotics can be used to kill bacteria and end a bacterial infection, viruses are treated with antiviral medications, which are not effective at completely killing the viruses but rather simply preventing the spread by hurting their ability to replicate.