What's trending on Google? Coronavirus, coronavirus, and more coronavirus

OVER the past week in the United States, coronavirus-related inquiries have been dominating Google's search engine.

The following are the most searched for questions during the past seven days and their answers as given by nationally- and internationally-recognized health organizations, academic institutions, and journals.

How did COVID-19 start?

According to the New York Times, "Experts believe that an infected animal may have first transmitted the virus to humans at a market that sold live fish, animals and birds in Wuhan. The market was later shut down and disinfected, making it nearly impossible to investigate which animal may have been the exact origin."

What is COVID-19?

According to the CDC, "Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person. The virus that causes COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus that was first identified during an investigation into an outbreak in Wuhan, China."

How many cases of COVID-19 in the US?

According to the CDC, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the US as of 4pm on Tuesday is 7,038.

How long does COVID-19 last?

According to Harvard Medical School, "It depends on how sick you get. Those with mild cases appear to recover within one to two weeks. With severe cases, recovery can take six weeks or more. According to the most recent estimates, about 1% of infected persons will succumb to the disease."

How many people have died from the virus?

According to the CDC, the total number of deaths in the US as of 4pm on Tuesday is 97.