The virus that has shaken the world, and has triggered a global crisis is not new.
In this article, we will highlight the background of the novel coronavirus. Before we dive deep into the history of coronavirus, let us brief you on the current strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
Coronaviruses are a big family of viruses, and Covid 19 is one of them. Yes, it is just one strain that has turned the world upside down.
Let’s see when was coronavirus first discovered and how it evolved to become a global pandemic.
History of Coronavirus
Coronaviruses are multiple viruses that not only affect humans, they also affect other living species, including camels, bats, dogs, etc. However, we will write specifically about coronaviruses that are found in humans.
According to experts, seven types of coronaviruses can affect human beings, and Sars-Cov-2 is one of them. The first-ever case of coronavirus that affected humans was in 1965. Initially, it only caused common symptoms of a cold. During this discovery, scientists also found other strains of the same virus and named it coronavirus because of its appearance.
As we look down the memory lane, Sars-Cov -2 seems like the final outbreak, the grand one, as there have been minor outbreaks of less dangerous strains of coronavirus before as well.
2002 Coronavirus outbreak
The first outbreak was of SARS, one of the strains of coronaviruses, which dates back to 2002 in China. The first case of SARS-Cov-1 was in Southern China. Soon it took 28 countries under its influence. During this outbreak, the virus affected nearly 8,000 people, while 774 lost the battle against life.
It was not the final wave. Another wave hit the world in 2004, which didn’t cause much chaos as only four cases got reported. According to the research, the symptoms of Sars-Cov-1 were similar to the current strain. It caused respiratory problems such as shortness of breath along with fever, headache, cough, etc.
2012 Outbreak of Coronavirus in Saudi Arabia
In 2012, MERS, another strain of coronavirus, took hold in one of the most powerful Gulf countries -Saudi Arabia. Although there were few cases, and the spread was limited to Saudi Arabian boundaries, the travelers were reported to get infected.
Even though being less deadly than Sars-Cov-1, it took 858 lives. MERS accounted for similar respiratory symptoms to Sars-Cov-1 and Sars-Cov-2.
The Global Pandemic Outbreak of the Deadliest Strain of Coronaviruses
As of now, you know when was coronavirus first discovered. Let us look at how Sars-Cov-2 evolved over the years and became a stronger version- Sars-Cov-1.
After the 2002 outbreak, it was China’s turn to get hit by the novel coronavirus in late 2019. This incident triggered the spread of what we now know as Covid-19. The outbreak forced the World Health Organization (WHO) to proclaim it as a global pandemic in early 2020.
It initially started in Wuhan and then later spread to various places around the world. As soon as the cases started emerging, scientists around the world started researching on it and unanimously came to the conclusion that it is a stronger version of Sars-Cov-1.
Further researches have concluded that all the strains that affected humans throughout history, including Sars-Cov-1 and MERS, originated from bats.
Initially, China came under serious accusations for spreading this deadly disease. However, later it was confirmed that the Wuhan market did not sell bats at the time when the first case was reported.
Current Situation of COVID-19 Crisis
Currently, medical experts are trying their best to fight the ongoing second wave of the novel coronavirus. Moreover, the development of vaccines is an encouraging sign for the cure of coronavirus. Until then, all we can do is hope for a better and healthy future without COVID-19.
