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Coloured transmission electron micrograph (TEM) of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus particles (red) isolated from the first US case of the disease Covid-19. SARS-CoV-2 (previously 2019-nCoV) was first identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. It is an enveloped RNA (ribonucleic acid, dark purple) virus. The coronaviruses take their name from their crown (corona) of surface proteins, which are used to attach and penetrate their host cells. Covid-19 is a respiratory infection that can lead to fatal pneumonia. As of the 10th February 2020, over 40,000 have been infected in China with over 900 deaths. There have been over 300 confirmed cases outside of China, with one death. In China travel restrictions and infection control measures have been put in place to slow the spread of the virus. (KEYSTONE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/CDC/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY)