The term "coronavirus" actually refers to a family of viruses that causes many different types of diseases, including the common cold. WHERE IT’S SPREAD: The vast majority of the cases are in mainland China but it has spread. We continue to provide in-person care and telemedicine appointments. "I think it's premature to assume that," Messonnier said. The delicately structured glow of the solar corona—or solar atmosphere—seen during the March 7, 1970, total eclipse of the Sun. It has spread from Wuhan across China to more than 15 countries, with about 60 cases in Asia, Europe, North America and, most recently, the Middle East. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said in an NPR interview in February that it's unclear how the coronavirus will react to heat or sunlight. Researchers hope that as weather gets warmer this summer, the number of COVID-19 cases will start to go down, just as similar diseases have done in the past. There’s an even more distant region called the corona, which extends to a volume even larger than the Sun itself. There is no vaccine for the new coronavirus right now. USA TODAY reached out to Friedman and Murphy for comment but did not receive a response from either. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. At the sun's core temperatures are … We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Fact check: What's true and what's false about coronavirus? Occasionally, a disease outbreak happens when a virus that is common in an animal such as a pig, bat or bird undergoes changes and passes to humans. There are four outer layers of the Sun, and the Corona is the outermost one. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. Read more about cookies here. But when you walk away from the fire, you feel cooler. About U.S. The COVID-19 disease is also zoonotic, with the first cases popping up in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. The Sun’s surface area is 11,990 times that of the Earth’s. (Like your grandparents! … The corona is usually hidden by the bright light of the Sun's surface. The article listed UV light as one of seven “things that COVID-19 is afraid of.” AFP Fact Check reported the article was shared in a Thai-language health group on Facebook with more than 6,000 followers and posted on social media multiple times, translated into English and Spanish. Scientists first began to detect cases of COVID-19 in China late last December. The cards are not issued by the U.S. government and are not backed by the ADA. SARS killed around 800 people around the planet. There are four outer layers of the Sun, and the Corona is the outermost one. Cows, bats, and camels are among the animals that have spread diseases to humans in the past. The World Health Organization created a graphic as part of a series of myth busters about the coronavirus that tells the public not to use UV light to kill the virus. The claim appeared in the Thai newspaper Komchadluek in March. The Sun is a main-sequence G2V star (or Yellow Dwarf). This is likely how the new coronavirus came to be. The best protection from COVID-19 is probably something you do every day: washing your hands. During a total solar eclipse, however, the Moon blocks out the light from the photosphere, permitting naked-eye observations of the corona. 2020 National Geographic Partners, LLC. The corona extends far out into space. Friedman referred to sunlight as “virus destroying sunlight.” This is FALSE. The claim holds little truth. Another important set of unknown lines revealed during an eclipse came from the corona, and so its source element was called coronium. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings. Temperatures at the photosphere are around 5,500C (10,000F), the corona can reach temperatures of almost 2 million C (3.6 million F). Credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani. In 1940 the source of the lines was identified as weak magnetic dipole transitions in various highly ionized atoms such as iron…, …of stars are surrounded by coronas having temperatures of one million kelvins (K) or more. who represents the 3rd Congressional District, : The sun’s UV light cannot kill the coronavirus, and concentrated UV light should not be used to kill the virus, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Fake cards and flyers, claiming that the bearer is exempt from mask-wearing regulations, have shown up in some areas. Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. The reason it has spread so quickly from country to country is because of how much humans travel now. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Updates? It has a temperature of approximately two million kelvins and an extremely low density. This is the opposite of what seems to happen on the Sun. © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, © 2015- You could also pick it up by touching doorknobs or countertops that an infected person has touched, and then touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/science/corona-Sun, Montana State University Solar Physics - Corona.