Yet again, the world, including Kenya, is experiencing a global viral epidemic of zoonotic origin. Coronaviruses (CoV) 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) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). The novel coronavirus (nCoV) - which has infected at least one person in Kenya- is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans. Detailed investigations found that SARS-CoV was transmitted from civet cats to humans and MERS-CoV from dromedary camels to humans. People with coronavirus may experience fever, flu-like symptoms such as coughing, headache, sore throat and fatigue and shortness of breath.

Source: The Star March 13, 2020 11:15 UTC