Coronaviruses (CoV) A large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe respiratory diseases. A new novel virus identified from humans 29th December 2019, 2019-nCoV Human respiratory viral infections Cold often caused by rhinovirus Influenza (flu) caused by influenza virus Coronaviruses virionCoV is a single-stranded RNAProtein envelope (protein shell or capsid)Crown shaped virionsLess than 100 nm Coronaviruses are zoonoticMERS Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, 2012 SARS Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, 2003 Novel previously unidentified in humans, 2019 – nCoV Clinical features Fever 98% Cough 76% Myalgia or fatigue 44% Sputum production 28% Headache 8% Haemoptysis 5% Diarrhoea 3% Dyspnoea 55% Severe acute respiratory infection – pneumonia Acute respiratory distress syndrome Radiology Median duration from illness … Continue reading Basic information about the novel Coronavirus, currently in China.