The first steps they take into consideration is where did it start, where has it spread, then they ask themselves questions is there an viruses similar to this one? Has anyone else found information on this virus? (Etc) then they probably start research by seeing who else has found info on the virus and then they might start to set up labs to conduct there own test to get a better understanding, then once all of that is done they start releasing information to people, for info I would look at the health page of your country or state or province (mines health Canada yours might be different)
Correlation is the measure of the similarity in the trend of two variables or between the pattern of functional change between any two variables. A high correlation indicates that one variable follows the same pattern as the other variable does. However through correlation, one cannot say that the two variables are functionally related to each other. Example, pattern of weather change and change in population of humans. These two are not related but similarities in their pattern of change will wrongly indicate that there's a relation between the two. Similarly between marital satisfaction and sexual frequency, a correlation may mean that one varies like the other. However, marital satisfaction is also strongly depending on economical situation of the subjects, behaviour, complex emotions, etc. And the order of these variables will influence the marital satisfaction. Her findings are not useful in establishing any relationship between the two.
An example of an asexual organism can be jellyfish or corals, they release there eggs and sperm into the water where they combine and grow on their own. Research the details, many diagrams.
