Srinivas Padma: Personal Musings on Life, Growth, and Connections

What Is a Coronavirus? Coronaviruses were first identified in the 1960s, they get their name from their crown-like shape. Sometimes, but not often, a coronavirus can infect both animals and humans. Most coronaviruses spread the same way other cold-causing viruses do: through infected people coughing and sneezing, by touching an infected person's hands or face, or by touching things such as doorknobs that infected people have touched. Coronaviruses cause diseases in mammals and birds that include diarrhea in cows and pigs, and upper respiratory disease in chickens. In humans, the virus causes rare but potentially lethal respiratory infections. Cases of the virus have been detected around China, including Hong Kong and Macao, and other countries, including Japan, South Korea, the United States and Thailand. Singapore and Vietnam are the latest to join the list. The symptoms of most coronaviruses are similar to any other upper respiratory infection, including runny nose,...

Mexico City: A 20-year-old dancer Riyo Mori from Japan, who wants to someday open an international dance school, was crowned as Miss Universe 2007. Mori, from the small town of Shizuoka at the base of Mount Fuji, won the cheers of the Mexico City audience when she opened her interview, saying "Hola, Mexico!" The daughter of a dance school operator, Mori said her grandmother told her as a child she wanted her to be Miss Japan before she turned 20. Riyo Mori nervously grabbed the hands of first runner-up, Natalia Guimaraes of Brazil, just before the winner was announced. She was trembling in awe as the diamond-and pearl-studded crown was placed on her head. Miss USA Rachel Smith, whose chances may have been dimmed when she slipped and fell to the floor during the evening gown competition, was the contest's fourth runner-up. Also finishing in the top five were second runner-up Ly Jonaitis of Venezuela and third runner-up Honey Lee of Korea. Miss India Puja Gupta, who made to...