The coronavirus, known as "Wuhan pneumonia" has claimed the lives of at least 81 people in China and more than 2000 people have been reported, according to data from the National Health Commission of the Asian country.
In the United States, five people infected by the virus have been reported that has led China to close access to several cities to stop the rapid spread.
Although the World Health Organization (WHO) has said that the virus is not an international public health emergency, people around the world are looking forward to what may happen.
Coronavirus is not a global emergency: WHO
The risk presented by the coronavirus is because it is "a new virus" and the human body "has no defenses" to attack it, the epidemiology expert Juan de Llano explained to the Voice of America.
"It is a danger if it really causes an epidemic or a pandemic," said the doctor who is also a professor at Miami Dade College, Florida.
For the specialist, the symptoms are very similar to those of a common cold: cough, runny nose, fever, among others. However, there is an indication that could reveal a more serious situation.
"When a person starts with shortness of breath and this person is not an asthmatic acquaintance or the person does not have these types of problems, they should suspect that something is really wrong," explained the doctor.
To prevent infection, De Llano recommends avoiding contact with people suffering from acute respiratory infections. Cover your mouth when you cough and sneeze, use masks and disinfect frequently touched surfaces.
"Handwashing is essential, we knock on a door, we knock on an object, then we put our hands to our eyes, our mouths, we eat, we greet (...) and this is how diseases are transmitted more," he said.
The professor stressed the importance of informing with reliable sources: "Contact the health department and try to know if the information you are receiving is correct."
To date, no vaccine or specific treatment is available to combat infection by this new outbreak.
