On 31 December 2019, it came to attention that there was several cases of Pneumonia in Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China. The virus did not match any other known virus. This raised concern because when a virus is new, we do not know how it affects people.On 7th January, Chinese authorities confirmed that they had identified a new virus. The new virus is a coronavirus, which is a family of viruses that include the common cold, and viruses such as SARS and MERS.
There are currently no vaccines available to protect you against human coronavirus infection. You may be able to reduce your risk of infection by doing the following:
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick
If you have cold-like symptoms, you can help protect others by doing the following:
• Stay home while you are sick
• Avoid close contact with others
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, then throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands
• Clean and disinfect objects and surfaces
