The novel coronavirus, which erupted from China's Wuhan and is now spreading akin to an epidemic in several parts of the world, has driven the netizens into a state of alarm. The search engine queries continue to remain dominated with questions related to COVID-19 -- the official name given to coronavirus by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Coronavirus Age-Wise Mortality Rate: Why Patients Below 40 Years of Age Should Worry Less About COVID-19 Outbreak.

While eastern hemisphere of the world has faced the worst brunt of coronavirus so far, the disease - nearly two months after it drove China and Far East Asia into a state of panic - is now turning towards the West. A spree of cases have been recorded in Europe, with Italy accounting for nearly 2,000 positive cases. The United States, at the western of the world, is not immune either with two deaths recorded so far due to the virus. Here are the top questions of the week, as reflected through Google Trends, answered.

What is Coronavirus?

Coronavirus ia form of contagious virus, which is biologically named as 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). The World Health Organisation has confirmed it to be a "positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus", which can transmit easily from person to person. The virus has genetic similarities to Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which had claimed around 800 lives in China and Hong Kong in 2002-03.

How Many People Have Died From Coronavirus?

The fatality-count is constantly rising as deaths are being reported at each hour. China on Wednesday (March 4) confirmed 38 more deaths, taking the overall toll in the nation to 2,981. By the time this report was published, the worldwide death toll had climbed to 3,198, whereas, the number of positive cases had surged to 93,160. Coronavirus Live Map: How to Track The Spread of COVID-19 Across The Globe With This Dashboard.

How to Prepare For Coronavirus?

In South East Asia where the virus has turned akin to an epidemic, the residents are recommended to remain indoors unless necessitated for occupational purpose. Masks are to be worn in these areas, as directed by some of the administrations. The World Health Organisation has released a guideline on how to use the masks. The use of sanitisers and handwashes are also strongly recommended. Huge congregations are to be avoided to prevent people-to-people contact. For the governments, a strict module to screen travellers from abroad or regulate their entry is recommended to be implemented.

How Did the Coronavirus Get Started?

The first COVID-19 was first detected in Wuhan city, located in China's central Hubei province. The initial batch of patients admitted to hospitals were linked to a live animal market. However , the disease later began spreading from human-to-human, with no similar cases recorded in animals. From Wuhan, the virus spread to other parts of Hubei -- which has recorded 90 percent of all the fatalities.

How is Coronavirus Spread?

According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the nCoV is spreading similarly to the SARS and MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome). The difference, however, is that coronavirus is highly contagious and has spread easily through person-to-person contact. In the affected geographic areas, it has been seen that coronavirus cases are growing exponentially.

Governments across the world are taking measures to prevent the curb of coronavirus. The suspected patients are recommended to be sent to quarantine for upto 28 days, whereas, those who have tested positive are to be treated in specially designed isolation wards. While China recorded no positive case on Wednesday, the threat of novel coronavirus continues to loom before the world. India, the second most populous country in the world following China, recorded 14 new cases on March 4, taking the overall toll to 28.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 04, 2020 02:41 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).