【阅读理解】

　　A new Chinese coronavirus， a cousin of the SARS virus， has infected more than 1000 people since theoutbreak (爆发）began in Wuhan， China， in December. Scientist Leo Poon， who first decoded the virus， thinks it likely started in an animal and spread to humans.

　　“What we know is it causes pneumonia （肺炎） and then doesn’t respond to antibiotic（抗生素） treatment， which is not surprising， but then in terms of mortality （死亡率）， SARS kills 10% of the individuals，” Poon， a virologist（病毒学家） at the School of Public Health at The University of Hong Kong， said.

　　TheWorld Health Organizationoffered guidance to countries on how they can prepare for it， including how to monitor for the sick and how to treat patients.

　　Here are seven things you should know about a coronavirus.

　　What is a coronavirus

　　Coronaviruses are a large group of viruses that are common among animals. In rare cases， they are what scientists call zoonotic（人畜共患病）， meaning they can be transmitted from animals to humans， according to theUS Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.