A new Coronavirus has the entire world in a state of panic. Let’s separate Coronavirus facts from fiction. Here are some Novel Coronavirus outbreak facts and information about COVID-19, the frightening disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 Novel Coronavirus.
Understanding The Difference Between The Terms Coronavirus, Novel Coronavirus, COVID-19 & SARS-CoV-2
The way that many organizations are juggling terms like SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 is confusing. Before we examine some COVID-19 and Coronavirus facts, let’s first review some key terms and definitions.
- Coronavirus: A Coronavirus is a family of viruses that are common in both humans and animals, such as cattle and bats.
- Novel Coronavirus: The term “novel” means new. When a Coronavirus is called a Novel Coronavirus, it just means that this is a new type of Coronavirus.
- SARS: SARS is an acronym for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.
- SARS-CoV Virus: In November 2002, a SARS epidemic began in Guangdong province in Sothern China. In total, 774 people died around the world from the 2002–2004 SARS outbreak.
- SARS-CoV-2 Virus: In December 2019, a Novel Conoroavirus was reported near Wuhan China. The new Coronavirus is officially named SARS-CoV-2. Although some people refer to it as the Wuhan Coronavirus, that is not its official name.
- COVID-19 Disease: The disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus is “Coronavirus Disease 2019” or more commonly known abbreviated as COVID-19.
US President Donald Trump Dismantled The White House Pandemic Team In 2018: True
To help cut costs, US President Donald Trump dissolved the White House Pandemic team. In May 2018, Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown from Ohio wrote Trump a letter demanding that the Pandemic team be reinstated. In the letter, Senator Brown says, “In our globalized world, where diseases are never more than a plane ride away, we must do all we can to prepare for the next inevitable outbreak, and keep Americans safe from disease.” Very prophetic.
Medical Face Masks Will Protect You From COVID-19: False
As the Novel Coronavirus outbreak first intensified in January and February 2020, demand for medical face masks grew to unprecedented levels. People started buying masks thinking that medical face masks would help prevent them from contracting COVID-19.
However, the main purpose of medical face masks is to help prevent sick people from spreading germs. Human to human transmission of Coronaviruses primarily occurs via respiratory droplets generated by sneezing and coughing. Coronavirus face masks help prevent respiratory droplets from finding their way into a patient’s hands and other surfaces like door handles.
The 2003 SARS Outbreak Was A Coronavirus: True
A “Coronavirus” is a group of diseases found in mammals and birds. Most Coronaviruses aren’t usually lethal. However, certain strains like COVID-19 carry much higher mortality rates. In 2003, the deadly SARS outbreak was a Coronavirus and had a mortality rate of 9.63%.
The 2020 Wuhan Coronavirus Was A Biological Weapon Started In A Chinese Laboratory: False
Was the SARS-CoV-2 Novel Coronavirus outbreak a Chinese military biological weapon that went wild? That’s just a rumor according to multiple sources and scientific evidence. Don’t believe everything you read on Twitter.
A Chinese Wet Market Ignited The Spread Of The Virus: True
Scientists and medical professionals have been trying to find the origins of COVID-19. A wet market in Wuhan China called the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market was originally believed to be the source of the virus.
A wet market is a large gathering of food vendors that sell live animals for food and medicine that are killed on site after purchase. The combination of raw meat and live animals, unfortunately, creates a dangerous environment for the transmission of diseases.
However, a closer investigation shows that the Wuhan market was more likely just a major catalyst for COVID-19, not the source. A customer or vendor who was already sick coughed and sneezed contaminated respiratory droplets on food and other surfaces at the market.
You Can Buy Bats At The Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market: True
In parts of Asia, bats are considered a delicacy and even thought to have health benefits. In addition to bats, a variety of exotic meats can be purchased for consumption at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market including turtles, rats, dogs, venous snakes, donkeys, and even Koalas and wolf puppies. At wet markets, purchased live animals are then slaughtered fresh for customers before they bring them home.
If you are imagining a wolf puppy, dog or baby koala being murdered for someone to take home and eat, and about to cry, don’t worry, I already am.
Novel Coronavirus Is Linked To Bats: True
Is COVID-19 linked to bats? This Novel Coronavirus outbreak fact is, still unproven but almost certainly true. Past outbreaks have been linked to bats and the COVID-19 virus has a 96% similarity match to a bat Coronavirus.
As the human population continues to grow, farms, gardens and livestock ranches continue spreading into wild areas where bats live. Bats are immune to most viruses and even most cancers. But bats are very effective at spreading viruses.
There are a few ways that a bat can spread a virus to humans.
- Bat Poop: Bat poop, or Guano, can be very deadly to humans. Guano looks a lot like mouse poop but doesn’t contain any moisture and will turn into powder when touched or disturbed. If a bat poops in a barn or a farm, then that infected poop may be ingested by livestock like cattle. If humans come in contact with an infected animal, then they can, in turn, get infected. Also eating unwashed produce contaminated with bat poop can also be a very bad idea. Bat Guano is especially dangerous to humans with a weakened immune system
- Touching A Bat: Bat hunters may come in contact with hundreds of bats a day. Each contact is an opportunity for virus transmission.
- Eating A Bat: Although bat soup may sound gross to most Westerners, it’s a very popular dish in parts of Asia including Indonesia and China. Some people even believe that eating bat meat helps cure asthma. But if an infected bat isn’t properly prepared, then it can be a very deadly meal.
The Wuhan Hospital Director Died Of The Novel Coronavirus: True
The main person in Wuhan China leading the treatment efforts against SARS-CoV-2 was Dr. Liu Zhiming. As the head doctor at Wuchang Hospital, Dr. Zhiming was at the epicenter of the Novel Coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China. Unfortunately, Dr. Zhiming died in February 2020 despite an all-out effort by hospital staff to save his life. He made the ultimate sacrifice in his efforts to document the virus symptoms and help treat patients.
An estimated 4% of people with COVID-19 in China are medical staff who contracted the disease from patients.
A Chinese Doctor Was Reprimanded For Warning Chinese Government Officials About The New Wuhan Coronavirus: True
Dr. Li Wenliang and several other medical professionals tried warning local Chinese officials about the Novel Coronavirus. They were reprimanded by Wuhan police for promoting “illegal and false” information. Without adequate medical supplies and government support, Dr. Wenliang contracted COVID-19 after treating patients and died in a hospital in Wuhan in February 2020. His death resulted in an outpouring of both condolences and anger on Chinese social media sites like Weibo. Some users used the hashtag #IWantFreedomOfSpeech in their posts and were censored by the Chinese government.
It Only Took 10 Days For China To Build Coronavirus Hospitals: True
As the Chinese government raced to respond to the Novel Coronavirus outbreak, several emergency hospitals were constructed in only a matter of days. People around the world marveled at how quickly the structures were built. Some of these hospitals only too 10 days to build.
A Coronavirus Treatment Center In China Collapsed: True
If having COVID-19 wasn’t bad enough, just imagine being sick and seriously hurt from a building collapse. A 5-story hotel in China was converted into a Coronavirus quartine center. Unfortunately, the hotel collapsed trapping 70 people inside and causing multiple fatalities.
Iran Is Digging Mass Graves: True
If you looked at a global map of COVID-19 deaths during the first few months of the Coronavirus outbreak, Iran was suspiciously in the clear. Not a single reported case or Coronavirus death. The regime finally started reporting deaths from the Coronavirus but there’s widespread suspicion that Iran is downplaying the true scale of impact that COVID-19 has had on the nation.
According to experts, these satellite images show that several mass graves were hurriedly dug at the Behesht-e Masoumehto Cemetary. Islamic customs require a speedy burial within 24 hours. This would imply that large amounts of victims all started dying around the same time or Iran is pre-digging graves based on the number of seriously infected people. There’s also what appears to be a large white pile of lime at the site which is often used to manage odor at mass grave sites.
The Novel Coronavirus Was Named After Corona Beer: False
The term Coronavirus comes from the Latin word corona, which means “halo” or “crown”. The Corona refers to the solar corona shape around the virus particles when the virus is viewed using two-dimensional microscopy.
You Can Get Coronavirus From Drinking Corona Beer: False
The Novel Coronavirus outbreak originated in China, not in Mexico or the United States. And there is no connection between the virus and beer. Even so, Corona beer has a major brand image issue to overcome. According to Constellation Brands, the company that markets Corona beer in the U.S., the initial spread of COVID-19 into the United States didn’t negatively impact sales. But consumer surveys show that Americans don’t want to drink Corona beer because of the SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus.
Novel Coronavirus Outbreak Facts That You Probably Didn't Already Know ... #Coronavirus #CoronavirusOutbreak #COVID19 #CoronavirusPandemic Share on XRelated Articles:
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Frank Wilson is a retired teacher with over 30 years of combined experience in the education, small business technology, and real estate business. He now blogs as a hobby and spends most days tinkering with old computers. Wilson is passionate about tech, enjoys fishing, and loves drinking beer.
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people stopped buying corona beer? what is wrong with everyone?!
Very funny I must admit.. What relationship does Corona beer have with coronavirus?