Sawbones: Coronavirus

 A number of coronaviruses predated the current one.

In 1965, researchers discovered that viruses cause the common cold. Over time, scientists identified a number of viruses which cause an array of upper respiratory illnesses in humans and animals. The name “coronavirus” was given to a group of viruses that, under a high-powered microscope, appeared to be covered with crown-like spikes. Other viruses were named enterovirus or rhinovirus.

Rumors continue to fly around social media about how the latest coronavirus is spread. No, your pets can’t give you coronavirus. No, it was not leaked from a Chinese lab and intentionally spread by malicious scientists. It’s not a big pandemic mystery, it’s simply a new coronavirus, which is still being studied.

[Editors Note: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious viral respiratory disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), also known as “novel coronavirus.” Reports in December 2019, from Wuhan, China, first cited the disease, which has spread globally, resulting in the...