Five people are being tested for coronavirus symptoms in Scotland after the mysterious disease spread from its suspected origin in China.
The disease has already killed at least 17 people, with thousands more thought to have a form of the condition.
Here is everything we know so far about the illness, how it got to Scotland and what is being done to stop it spreading.
What is Coronavirus?
Without wishing to instill fear, the term ‘Coronavirus’ refers to an entire family of diseases ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars).
The viruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Symptoms include fever, cough, tightness of the chest, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.
More severe cases can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and death.
There are no specific treatments for a new coronavirus but symptoms can be treated.
What is the situation in Scotland?
As we said at the top of this piece, we currently have five suspected cases of Coronavirus in Scottish hospitals.
All the patients had respiratory symptoms and had been in Wuhan, thought to be the source of the outbreak, in the last 14 days.
Professor Jurgen Haas, head of infection medicine at the University of Edinburgh said he believes there will probably be similar cases in “many other cities” in the UK.
Where else has the disease spread?
It is hard to say exactly how many confirmed cases of Coronavirus there are worldwide, with estimates of those in China ranging from 400 to 4,000 depending on the source.
Globally, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and the United States have all confirmed at least one case.
Where did the disease originate?
No one is entirely sure, but it is thought the virus could have emanated from a seafood market in the Chinese city of Wuhan, which has an international airport connecting to 60 destinations across the world.
Wuhan is home to some 11 million people and is among the top 50 largest cities in the world, despite not being quite as well known as other Chinese hubs such as Beijing or Shanghai.
Some experts believe we will never find the true source of the outbreak, but the current theory is that it spread from local delicacies to humans.
Bats and snakes are commonly eaten in Hebei province, where Wuhan is the capital and it is thought this is where the virus was first picked up.
According to Paul Hunter, professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia, the strains found in humans are more like the strains found in snakes, so that is more likely, but still not proven.
He added that cooked food is unlikely to be the source, suspecting that the most likely transmission pathway would be from aerosols produced during handling of the live animals and during butchery and food preparation.
These would then be inhaled or contaminate surfaces that could be touched by people.
What is happening in China?
Over 400 confirmed cases of Coronavirus have been found in the province of Hubei and its two main cities, Wuhan and Huanggang, are in lockdown mode to stop the disease spreading.
According to Wuhan’s state-owned People’s Daily newspaper, no one was allowed to leave the city starting at 10am local time on Thursday, while train stations and the airport were shut down.
Chinese health authorities have urged people in the city to avoid crowds and public gatherings, while the WHO has convened a panel of experts to advise whether the outbreak should be declared a global emergency.
What should I do?
To quote the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: Don’t Panic.
Suspected cases in Scottish hospitals have been isolated and medics are currently treating them are doing so with protective clothes including gloves, masks and goggles.
General hygiene to avoid the spread of disease, washing hands, covering your mouth when you cough etc, should be followed, but that is true for any time of the year.
The elderly and those with underlying health conditions are particularly at risk, but again, there is no need to do anything out of the ordinary unless you feel especially unwell.
If you do have any health concerns, contact your doctor or the NHS non-emergency line on 101 and follow their advice.
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