Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2): What do we know?

The Coronavirus, or SARS-CoV-2 as it is actually named, has in a matter of months killed over 1,170 people and sickened over 70,000 others with a pneumonia-like disease called COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019). A lot of questions are being asked about how it can spread, what the research says and what this means for the rest of the world.

In this week's episode we talk about the basic biology behind SARs-CoV-2, we discuss recently published science about transmission dynamics, the reproduction value, incubation period and doubling time of the virus, and we end discussing China's response to the virus and the misplaced xenophobia people have during this time. 

SOURCES // 

• Chinese woman study: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/02/paper-non-symptomatic-patient-transmitting-coronavirus-wrong
• Reproduction value: https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2020/01/how-fast-and-far-will-new-coronavirus-spread/605632/
• Coronavirus background: https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus
• Epidemiological study: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2001316#article_references
• Coronavirus (animals to human transmission): https://www.wsj.com/articles/scientists-link-china-virus-to-intersection-of-humans-and-wildlife-11580997600
• Travel: https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/coronavirus-travel-advice/index.html 
• Pandemic: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/02/health/coronavirus-pandemic-china.html?auth=login-google
• Lockdown in China: https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/11/economy/china-coronavirus-returning-to-work-economy/index.html
• Xenophobia: https://abc7news.com/5922670/
• China cancels Lunar New Year: https://www.dw.com/en/china-cancels-lunar-new-year-events-over-deadly-virus-fears/a-52121516
• Dr. Li, the whistleblower: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-51403795
• Map of where SARS-CoV-2 is: https://systems.jhu.edu/research/public-health/ncov/