Amidst the global panic, people have been trying to figure out exactly where the virus has come from and how to treat it effectively.

But it has now emerged that a lot of money to help develop a vaccine has been donated, including from Bill and Melinda Gates. And now Bill has made another pledge...

Could Bill Gates be the answer to our prayers?

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The US response to coronavirus has been widely derided by the world.

With social distancing and masks falling by the wayside ...

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It seems a vaccine may be our only hope.

And you know there's one man taking that seriously.

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Tech mogul and philanthropist Bill Gates, of course!

He's been in on the development of a vaccine for months.

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But this latest news might be the most exciting yet.

Because Bill is determined the vaccine should work.

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And in order for it to work, it has to be cheap.

We've all heard of coronavirus - but what exactly is it?

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Reuters has given a short guide to what it is exactly: "Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that get their name from what they look like under a microscope - they are spherical and their surfaces are covered with "crown"-like spikes."

The symptoms can be deadly.

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"Coronavirus infections have a wide range of symptoms, including fever, coughing, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. Severe cases can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure, and death."

A lot of people have now died from the virus...

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And the numbers are particularly on the rise in the USA.

It is notoriously difficult to cure...

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And this is because of the speed in which the virus can mutate. The technicalities read... "The virus blends with its host's DNA, which means it can mutate rapidly."

The whole world went into lockdown to stop the spread.

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With seemingly mixed results.

And now, everyone is asking the same thing...

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What is it that's causing this deadly virus?

Bats are believed to be one of the main culprits...

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Strains of the virus have been discovered in bats in the past and, with them being a delicacy in some areas of China, they are believed to be one of the primary causes.

Chinese influencers have been heavily criticized for the consumption of bats...

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And many have been eating the bats whole without properly preparing them.

The finger has also been pointed at reptiles...

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In particular snakes. In similarity to bats, reptiles aren't suitable to eat but a snake soup is also seen as a delicacy in numerous parts of China.

All of these sources seem pretty reliable...

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And it seems likely the virus has from a wild animal.

But regardless of where it comes from, the virus can be spread quickly and easily...

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And Chinese officials have warned that the strains can be spread by coughing, kissing or making contact with saliva.

Scientists have been working tirelessly in a bid to find a vaccine...

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But they have so far had no luck.

Of course, behind science is a lot of money...

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And money is exactly what China needs in order to develop vaccines and conduct experiments.

Luckily, China's richest man has stepped in.

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Jack Ma is the founder of the e-commerce company Alibaba, and he is estimated to be worth around $38 billion.

He also runs the foundation Weibo...

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And it was on this website when Ma announced that he would be making a generous donation towards the development of a vaccine for the coronavirus outbreak.

A total of 100 million yuan ($14 million) has been donated by Ma...

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In the announcement, the company wrote that the money donated will be used to "support the development of a coronavirus vaccine," and the money will be split between different companies and organizations.

The money will be stretched far...

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$2.8 million of the donation will be going to both the Chinese Academies of Engineering and Sciences, and the rest will be used to help purchase medical supplies for hospitals in the Wuhan and Hubei Province.

But Ma isn't the only generous soul who has donated towards the cause...

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Enter Bill and Melinda Gates.

Bill Gates is a very wealthy man...

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The Microsoft software founder is one of the richest people in the world, with him being worth around $110 billion.

He and his wife have a lot of money to spare...

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And they have decided to help towards the research behind the development of a coronavirus vaccine.

The couple have donated a staggering $100 million.

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Their money has gone to the coronavirus vaccine research and treatment efforts, which was announced as part of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) request for $675 million in global contributions to fight the spread of the disease.

And Bill and Melinda have also made another promise ...

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As Gates told Bloomberg, "We're trying to make sure we can end it not just in the rich countries.

He''s determined to keep the price of the vaccine at around $3.

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Because in order for it to work, the vast majority of the population would need to be able to afford it. Want more from Bill Gates? Read on for the fateful day his Twitter account was muted...