Novel coronavirus is part of a family called coronaviruses, which cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to SARS, or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, as well as a variety of animal diseases.

CNN: New SARS-like virus is a 'threat to the entire world'

Although the novel coronavirus is from the same large family of pathogens as SARS, it is very different.

BBC: Threat from novel coronavirus 'remains low'