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A glass model of the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, by artist Luke Jerram on March 18, 2020 in Bristol, United Kingdom. The model is about 1 million times larger than the actual virus.
- Experts are racing to study the coronavirus as the number of people it infects and kills continues to rise.
- Scientists know the coronavirus likely came from bats but aren't sure how it hopped over to humans.
- Researchers are also unsure what makes the virus so effective at spreading, and why it's lethal for some healthy people yet doesn't cause symptoms in most children.
- It is also still unknown whether the virus is seasonal, can reinfect patients, or if a safe and effective vaccine will emerge to curtail the disease.
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In the realm of medicine, what you don't know can, indeed, kill you.
When it comes to the novel coronavirus, technically known as SARS-CoV-2, and the disease it causes, called COVID-19, the number of things experts are still trying to understand seems to outweigh what they can say for certain.
That is little surprise to any infectious-disease researcher: Highly contagious diseases can move through communities much more quickly than the methodical pace of science can produce vital answers.
What we do know is that the coronavirus apparently emerged in Wuhan, China, just before the New Year, has reached more than 175 countries, is confirmed to have infected more than 595,000 people, and has killed at least 27,000. Increased testing, particularly in the US, is bound to boost those numbers.
As hospitals around the world strain to care for patients with critical, long-lasting, and resource-draining pneumonia and respiratory failure, scientists are racing to study the coronavirus, spread life-saving information, and combat dangerous misunderstandings.
Here are 11 of the biggest questions surrounding the coronavirus and COVID-19, and why answering each one is critically important.
Do you have a personal experience with the coronavirus you'd like to share? Or a tip on how your town or community is handling the pandemic? Please email covidtips@businessinsider.com and tell us your story.
And get the latest coronavirus analysis and research from Business Insider Intelligence on how COVID-19 is impacting businesses.