The Covid-19 pandemic began last year in a city in central China, but has since grown to affect nearly every
+ country on
+ earth. The virus has put world leaders in hospital while exposing inequality. It has asked major questions of
+ governments and encroached on the daily lives of billions. And it shows no signs of ending any time soon.
+
+
The biggest story emerged from China, which the BBC first reported as a cluster of cases of a "mysterious viral
+ pneumonia" in the city of Wuhan.
+
+
There were also fears the virus could spread rapidly as hundreds of millions of people in China prepared to
+ travel
+ around the country for Chinese New Year.
+ But it was still unclear how the illness was transmitted, with health officials saying no cases of human-to-human
+ transmission had been confirmed.
+ At that point, the World Health Organization (WHO) said it was aware of the outbreak, it was in contact with the
+ Chinese
+ government and it was closely monitoring the event.
+ By the end of the month, the toll had passed 100, with infections rising fast. It spread beyond Wuhan, both into
+ other
+ parts of China and to at least 16 countries around the world.
+
+
There were also fears the virus could spread rapidly as hundreds of millions of people in China prepared to
+ travel
+ around the country for Chinese New Year.
+ But it was still unclear how the illness was transmitted, with health officials saying no cases of human-to-human
+ transmission had been confirmed.
+ At that point, the World Health Organization (WHO) said it was aware of the outbreak, it was in contact with the
+ Chinese
+ government and it was closely monitoring the event.
+ By the end of the month, the toll had passed 100, with infections rising fast. It spread beyond Wuhan, both into
+ other
+ parts of China and to at least 16 countries around the world.
+
Clarence House confirmed that the 71-year-old heir to the throne had been diagnosed in a statement released on 25
+ March.
+ In a video message a few days later, the Duke of Cornwall praised the "remarkable NHS".
+ He completed his period of isolation at Birkhall in Aberdeenshire.
+
Prince Albert II of Monaco
+
+
The 62-year-old reigning monarch confirmed he had tested positive for the virus on 19 March.
+ However, a palace statement said his health was not worrying and he has since recovered.
+
Boris Johnson
+
+
The prime minister's coronavirus diagnosis was confirmed on 27 March.
+ On 5 April, he was admitted to hospital for tests after continuing to display symptoms.
+ The following day, Downing Street said he was in "good spirits" after a "comfortable" night.
a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your
+ temperature).
+
a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in
+ 24 hours
+ (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual).
+
a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you've noticed you cannot smell or taste
+ anything, or
+ things smell or taste different to normal.
get lots of rest, drink plenty of fluids (water is best) to avoid dehydration – drink enough so your pee is
+ light yellow and clear, take paracetamol or ibuprofen if you feel uncomfortable
+
If you have a cough, it's best to avoid lying on your back. Lie on your side or sit upright instead, To help
+ ease a cough, try having a teaspoon of honey. But do not give honey to babies under 12 months.
+
If this does not help, you could contact a pharmacist for advice about cough treatments.
+ 
+ 
+ 
+