The new coronavirus: Your questions answered | Live Science

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What is the new coronavirus?

 

Coronaviruses constitute a large family of viruses that can cause respiratory illnesses such as the common cold. The new virus is a type of coronavirus that had never been seen before. It first appeared in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.

 

Officials have named the new virus SARS-CoV-2, due to its genetic similarity to the coronavirus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS. The official name for the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 is COVID-19.