Can coronavirus spread through cough and sex? Here’s all you need to know

Whether you catch the infection or not depends on how close you get and how long you are near the person

Coronavirus is highly contagious and is spreading at a lightning speed around the world. The virus has already infected people in close to 70 countries. According to the World Health Organisation, there are 92,819 confirmed cases and 3,164 deaths reported globally. In India, total number of confirmed cases rose to six on Tuesday after an Italian tourist in Jaipur tested positive. So what is coronavirus and how can it be transmitted? Here is what you need to know:

What is coronavirus?

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans. The present scare is because of COVID-19, an infectious diseases caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. The outbreak began in Wuhan in China in December, 2019. The virus can be transmitted between animals and people. Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.

Will the coronavirus spread through cough?

People can catch the virus from others. The disease can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth which are spread when a person coughs or exhales. These droplets land on objects and surfaces around the person. Other people then catch the virus by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth. People can also fall victim to virus even if they breathe in droplets from a person infected who coughs out or exhales droplets. This is why it is important to stay more than 1 meter (3 feet) away from a person who is sick.

Coronavirus: In last flight from Wuhan, ‘everyone was wearing masks’

Passengers who spoke with reporters at the airport seemed largely unfazed by the crisis, and the media attention

One of the last flights out of the epidemic-hit Chinese city of Wuhan was met by biosecurity officials as it landed in Australia on Thursday, as a global effort to contain the outbreak ramps up. Mask-wearing passengers said they were questioned by health officials who briefed them on the symptoms of the novel coronavirus and handed out leaflets explaining how to respond if they noticed symptoms of the contagious disease.

“They suggested (that) everyone wear their masks, and actually everyone (already) wear their masks … even the flight crew,” said Kevin Ouyang, a 40-year-old father of two who was returning to his Sydney home after a business trip to China. Australia’s chief medical officer, Brendan Murphy, said no ill passengers had been found on the flight, which left Wuhan shortly before Chinese authorities placed the city under quarantine and barred all departing aircraft.

But Murphy added during a press conference with Prime Minister Scott Morrison that because of its incubation period travellers from Wuhan would need to continue monitoring themselves for flu-like symptoms. “We need to contact a hospital,” a woman passenger, who didn’t give her name, explained when asked what she was told to do if symptoms arise. Passengers who spoke with reporters at the airport seemed largely unfazed by the crisis, and the media attention…

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What Is Coronavirus? Symptoms of coronavirus

In January 2020, an outbreak of a new coronavirus termed ‘2019-nCoV’ in China killed over nine people and infected over 400. According to news, it has also spread to other Asian countries.

What is coronavirus?

Coronaviruses are a large group of viruses that are common among animals. In rare cases, they can be transmitted from animals to humans. The spikes protruding from the virus’s membrane look like the sun’s corona. It is from this that the virus gets get the name ‘coronavirus’. It causes illnesses of the respiratory tract, ranging from the common cold to severe conditions like SARS. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), a novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.

Symptoms of coronavirus

Coronavirus can make people sick, usually with a mild to moderate upper respiratory tract illness, similar to a common cold. Some of the symptoms are

— A general feeling of being unwell

— Runny nose

— Sore throat

— Headache

— Cough

— Fever

In case someone is facing lower-respiratory tract illnesses, such as pneumonia or bronchitis, they must seek professional health immediately.

Who is more likely to be a victim coronavirus?

People with a weakened immune system, cardiopulmonary disease, infants, and older adults are more likely to be affected by a coronavirus.

How do you catch coronavirus?

Coronaviruses are zoonotic. This implies that they are passed on between animals and people. When Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV) sickened thousands of people around the world — and killed nearly 800 — during a 2003 outbreak, investigations found that it was transmitted from civet cats to humans. MERS-CoV was transmitted from camels to humans. There are several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans. On January 7, the Chinese authorities identified coronavirus (2019-nCoV) as the causative virus behind cases of pneumonia of unknown cause. This novel coronavirus has not been previously identified in humans, hence experts say its too early to figure out the exact cause of the infection…