What to know about coronavirus

The coronavirus has made its way to Washington state from China. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed on Tuesday a Snohomish County man in his 30s is at Providence Medical Center in Everett with the virus.

CDC confirms first US case of coronavirus in Washington state

Here’s what you need to know about the coronavirus, according to the CDC:

Where do coronaviruses come from:

Coronaviruses are commonly found in camels and bats. Most coronaviruses infect animals, not people. It’s rare that they evolve and infect humans, and then spread to humans.

The CDC says it still doesn’t know why only certain coronaviruses are able to infect people.

Symptoms:
Health officials in China report that patients have experienced fever, runny nose, headache, a cough, and difficulty breathing. It can sometimes cause pneumonia or bronchitis.

Prevention:
The CDC says there are no vaccines available to protect yourself from a human coronavirus infection. However, you can reduce the risk by frequently washing your hands with soap, avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth, and avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Treatment:
There are no specific treatments for coronavirus, according to the CDC, and most people will recover on their own. To ease symptoms, you can take pain and fever medications and use a humidifier, or take a hot shower to sooth a sore throat and cough.

Origin:
The name “coronavirus” stems from the crown-like or halo-like spikes on the surface of the virus, as seen under a microscope. It was first identified in the 1960s. There are seven coronaviruses that can infect humans. The four most common are: 229E, NL63, OC43, and HKU1.

The latest outbreak started in the city of Wuhan in central China in late December. About 300 cases have been identified. Six deaths have been reported, all in Wuhan.

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