[13 March 2020] Coronavirus disease 2019 (or COVID-19) is a respiratory illness caused by a novel (or new) coronavirus (named SARS-CoV-2) that was first identified in an outbreak in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. On 11 March 2020, The World Health Organisation declared the Coronavirus outbreak a pandemic, the highest level classification the organisation can give. The WHO defines a pandemic as a disease that is widespread around the globe. Only a few diseases in history have merited the description of “pandemic”.
Symptoms from COVID-19 can be mild to severe and can include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Other symptoms may include aches and pains, nasal congestion or runny nose, sore throat, or diarrhoea. Some people who are infected may not develop symptoms, however.
Some people with cancer, including brain tumour patients, are more at risk of becoming seriously ill if…
