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Coronavirus

coronavirus Covid-19 virus

Hands-on Resources for Grasping the Science Behind COVID-19

Coronaviruses are not new to humans or even to you. Coronaviruses are a family of viruses best identified by the crown-like spikes that cover their surface (corona is Latin for 'crown'). Coronaviruses cause upper-respiratory tract illnesses like the common cold and the 2003 SARS and 2012 MERS outbreaks. In the winter of 2019, a new coronavirus, now officially called SARS-CoV-2, emerged in Wuhan, China. The virus made the jump from animals to humans and causes a disease called COVID-19. For some people, often children and young adults, SARS-CoV-2 causes few or no symptoms. For others it can lead to severe lung damage and even death. The virus can be spread fairly easily, including by people who are infected but display no symptoms, and as a result, we are in the middle of a global pandemic, with nearly all countries in the world reporting an increasing number of infected individuals. Scientists and health professionals around the globe are working hard to rapidly learn more about this new coronavirus and the disease it causes and to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Science Projects and Activities to Understand Viruses
Where Do Outbreaks
Come From?
Fruit bats, like this one, may be responsible for Ebola virus transmission to humans in latest Ebola outbreak.

Viruses can jump from animals to humans; SARS-CoV-2 most likely came from bats or pangolins.

How Does the Body
Fight Viruses?
Blood cells fight off the Ebola virus as part of the immune response.

If you have had COVID-19, you are unlikely to get it again.

 How Are Medicines Developed to Prevent and Treat Viral Outbreaks?
Ebola treatments, Ebola drugs, and Ebola vaccines are being developed in medical laboratories.

Researchers are working hard on SARS-CoV-2 vaccines using methods like these:

What Can We Do to Stop Virus Transmission and
Stay Healthy?
Careful hygiene, including hand washing, can prevent virus transmission and is one of the CDC recommendations in the Ebola outbreak.

Coronaviruses can be transmitted by contact with virus particles:

Whose Job Is It to Handle the Coronavirus Pandemic?
Epidemiologist
epidemiologist conducting research 		Microbiologist
female microbiologist looking in microscope 		Lab Technician
clinical technician testing blood types 		Pathologist
female pathologist looking through microscope
Registered Nurse
male nurse checking elderly woman's pulse 		Physician
female doctor talking to elderly patient 		Physician Asst.
physician assistant giving toddler a checkup 		Health Educator
Health educators at wellness fair
Statistician
person graphing data on computer screen 		Paramedic
EMT helping patient inside ambulance 		Bioinformatics Scientist
bioinformatics scientist evaluating microarray data 		Respiratory Therapist
Therapist checking lung function.

COVID-19 in the News

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