You'd have to really be trying to avoid the news to have missed people talking about coronavirus.
LEELA: What's that?
VO: Well Leela, or me. I'm glad you asked.
It was late last year that we started to hear reports about a new virus that had infected some people in the Chinese city of Wuhan. They reckon it might have started in this market where there was a lot of raw meat and animals. Pretty quickly it started to spread, some people died and the news reports about coronavirus got more serious and regular.
What a lot of people might not realise is coronaviruses are actually a whole big family of viruses. Interesting fact, the name corona comes from the Latin word for crown, because they kind of look like little crowns. These viruses usually cause symptoms like a fever, a dry cough, and aching muscles, a bit like the flu. And just like the flu, they generally spread via respiratory droplets generated by sneezing and coughing. They can also be transmitted from animals to humans which is how this particular strain of coronavirus got going.
So why are people so worried? Well, any new disease is something experts watch really closely. Especially when they're potentially fatal. Although most people who've caught this coronavirus have recovered. The real concern is how fast this one is spreading.
There have now been more than 40,000 confirmed cases. Most of those have been in China. But the virus has now been found in at least 25 countries and some are worried about it spreading even further. To try and stop that from happening the World Health Organisation has declared a global health emergency. Which is basically a way of encouraging governments around the world to take this seriously and do what they can to stop it.
That's certainly happening. China has taken some extraordinary steps like quarantining 55 million people in the city of Wuhan and the surrounding Hubei province. And building a brand-new hospital there. People in other parts of the country are also feeling the effects, like Eli and Tyson who live in Kunming city.
TYSON: We are pretty far from Wuhan, the centre of the virus except if it spreads too fast, we might be seriously affected.
ELI: There are some precautions being taken like having to wear masks and temperatures being checked.
Back here in Australia there's only been around a dozen cases of coronavirus but it's still having a big effect on a lot of people. Aussies who were stuck in Wuhan have been sent to Christmas Island for two weeks so authorities can check they're not sick.
The government has also banned Chinese people who aren't citizens or permanent residents from coming into the country. That's hurting a lot of businesses that rely on Chinese visitors. It's also hard for international students who are missing class time and families who are being kept apart. But the government says it's about keeping people safe.
SCOTT MORRISON, PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA: I want to assure Australians that we are doing everything that we can, and through these actions to protect Australia from what is an escalating threat and a constantly changing situation.
It all sounds pretty intense, right? But don't worry too much. Experts say there's no need to panic. Your chances of getting coronavirus are really low and like we said most people who get it get better. The best way to protect yourself is to do things you should do anyway like covering your mouth when you cough and washing your hands regularly. Meanwhile, scientists are working hard to develop a vaccine and hopefully, it won't be too long before coronavirus isn't in the news so much.
