The key immediate questions around this coronavirus (COVID-19) are:
How severe is the disease?
- What are the optimum treatment and care options?
How quickly is it spreading?
- What can be done to prevent transmission?
How accurate are the diagnostic tools?
- Is there a validated PCR assay?
What do we already know?
Our existing knowledge largely comes from the research that occurred during and after the MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV outbreaks. These are very similar betacorona viruses and so the evidence from understanding these outbreaks is the best information available for guiding treatment, preventions and diagnostics.
The following resources are available: