The rapidity of the spread of the new Coronavirus (officially called COVID-19) across the globe is more a reflection of the technological cleverness of humankind rather than an inherent malevolence of the virus itself.

The ability of people to travel in great numbers quickly to and from all parts of the world means that a potentially deadly condition – a viral infection – can be taken along as a passenger in a host organism.

Viruses are regarded as being on the boundary of non-living and living organisms.

They are dependent on a host organism for survival and have no metabolic processes.

They cannot replicate on their own but can only do so in living cells.

The living animal kingdom, including we humans, is surrounded by hundreds of thousands of different types of virus.

Generally our immune systems protect us from familiar types of virus.

However, occasionally an animal virus can jump from a different host and establish itself in a new type of animal that lacks the preventive systems to stop the damage to cells and organs from spreading and causing serious illness and, possibly, death.

The emergence and spread of a new virus, one which is harmful to humans, can be sudden.

Such a virus can pass from the wild, say a bat or bird, reside briefly in pigs or other domestic animals and then move into a localised human population.

According to the experts this is what happened in China last year.

COVID-19 belongs to a group labelled Coronavirus – these viruses cause pneumonia-like symptoms and result in severe respiratory conditions.

COVID-19 is the third type of Coronavirus dangerous to humans to have emerged since 2003.

Modern medicine has no ready anti-viral treatments to knock out COVID-19.

Rather, isolation and intensive supportive medical care, are the main weapons in meeting the challenge posed by this disease.

Coronaviruses have the ability to latch onto the host receptors of certain human cells – particularly in the airways.

Noses, mouths and eyes offer pathways for such viruses.

This is why health authorities have been particular in stressing the need for isolation of patients, and importantly on measures by all people to follow hygienic processes.

One of the most important is to WASH HANDS thoroughly and to sanitise surfaces where hands and body fluids may have landed.

However, although the Australian Government may be taking prudent action to screen overseas arrivals, ordinary people, while being aware of the need for cautionary awareness, should continue to live our normal lives.

At this stage, no-one need to walk around wearing a face mask as long as everyone ensures that basic hygiene levels are maintained, including respiratory hygiene (using a tissue or hanky).

Medical scientists around the globe are working very hard on behalf of all people to better understand and learn how to respond to COVID-19.

Already diagnostic tools have been better refined to allow fast assessment and accurate diagnosis of this nasty condition.

For example, one study has shown chest CT scans have been found to provide 98 per cent diagnostic sensitivity for COVID-19.

Good public awareness of the characteristics and hazards of COVID-19 will help health authorities limit and contain what is a major public health issue.

It has been disturbing that some national governments have been less than prompt in recognising and responding to the dangers generated by the quick spread of COVID-19 globally.

Citizens of some countries have borne the brunt of the outbreaks while uncertainty and social disruption grows.

We have been given some salutary and sobering lessons by Mother Nature in the past few months – in this country and beyond; severe drought, massive bushfires, and now a mindless virus – and the world is left reeling from the consequent economic and social shocks.

We have been reminded that the apparent supremacy of humankind on Planet Earth may not be as secure as we once imagined.

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