Actually, there are several different strains and they have been around for a really long time already. Coronaviruses are a group of related RNA viruses that cause diseases in mammals, birds and humans. In humans, these viruses cause respiratory tract infections that can range from mild to lethal. Mild illnesses include some cases of the common cold while more lethal varieties can cause SARS, MERS, and the most recent COVID-19. Coronaviruses were first discovered in the 1930s when an acute respiratory infection of domesticated chickens was shown to be caused by Infectious Bronchitis Virus (IBV). In the 1940s, two more animal coronaviruses, Mouse Hepatitis Virus (MHV) and Transmissible Gastroenteritis Virus (TGEV) were isolated. Human coronaviruses were discovered in the 1960s. They include SARS-CoV in 2003, HCoV NL63 in 2004, HCoV HKU1 in 2005, MERS-CoV in 2012, and SARS-CoV-2 in 2019. There have also been a large number of other animal coronaviruses identified since then as well. I agree its a serious thing, but its clearly here to stay. Maybe this is the eye opener for people to realize life can't be taken for granted, and continue to stay proactive in keeping each other safe.