Coronavirus, what is it and how to protect yourself from it?

An unknown virus has appeared in China. The pneumonia caused by it has already claimed the lives of more than 40 people. Almost all of them lived in the Chinese city of Wuhan, but there are also people infected in other countries.
Coronavirus is a common virus, like ARVI or the flu. There are about 40 of its varieties, only some of them cause diseases in people, from а common cold to severe respiratory infections. The new 2019-nCoV coronavirus mutated from previous versions and passed from animals to humans. It causes severe acute respiratory syndrome which can be fatal.
In order to protect yourself from the virus, there are elementary rules, as with any flu and ARVI: be sure to wash your hands, do not contact with the sick people, maintain hygiene, clean and ventilate the rooms, spend more time in fresh air, and less in crowded places.