by coronaviruses, see Coronavirus diseases. For the ongoing pandemic, see COVID-19 pandemic. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. It has since spread worldwide, leading to an ongoing pandemic.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Other names (The) coronavirus 2019-nCoV acute respiratory disease Wuhan Coronavirus Novel coronavirus pneumonia[1][2] Severe pneumonia with novel pathogens[3] SARS-2[4] Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.jpg False-color transmission electron microscope image of coronavirus Pronunciation /kəˈroʊnəˌvaɪrəs dɪˈziːz/ /ˌkoʊvɪdnaɪnˈtiːn, ˌkɒvɪd-/[5] Specialty Infectious disease Symptoms Fever, cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell; sometimes no symptoms at all[6][7] Complications Pneumonia, viral sepsis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, kidney failure, cytokine release syndrome, respiratory failure, pulmonary fibrosis, pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome, chronic COVID syndrome Usual onset 2–14 days (typically 5) from infection Duration 5 days to 10+ months known Causes Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Diagnostic method rRT-PCR testing, CT scan Prevention Hand washing, face coverings, quarantine, physical/social distancing[8] Treatment Symptomatic and supportive Frequency 105,700,191[9] confirmed cases Deaths 2,306,818[9] Symptoms of COVID-19 are variable, but often include fever, cough, fatigue, breathing difficulties, and loss of smell and taste. Symptoms begin one to fourteen days after exposure to the virus. Of those people who develop noticeable symptoms, most (81%) develop mild to moderate symptoms (up to mild pneumonia), while 14% develop severe symptoms (dyspnea, hypoxia, or more than 50% lung involvement on imaging), and 5% suffer critical symptoms (respiratory failure, shock, or multiorgan dysfunction).[10] At least a third of the people who are infected with the virus remain asymptomatic and do not develop noticeable symptoms at any point in time, but they can spread the disease.[11][12] Some patients continue to experience a range of effects—known as long COVID—for months after recovery, and damage to organs has been observed.[13] Multi-year studies are underway to further investigate the long term effects of the disease.[13]
The virus that causes COVID-19 spreads mainly when an infected person is in close contact[a] with another person.[17][18] Small droplets and aerosols containing the virus can spread from an infected person's nose and mouth as they breathe, cough, sneeze, sing, or speak. Other people are infected if the virus gets into their mouth, nose or eyes. The virus may also spread via contaminated surfaces, although this is not thought to be the main route of transmission.[18] The exact route of transmission is rarely proven conclusively,[19] but infection mainly happens when people are near each other for long enough. People who are infected can transmit the virus to another person up to two days before they themselves show symptoms, as can people who do not experience symptoms. People remain infectious for up to ten days after symptom onset in moderate cases and up to 20 days in severe cases.[20] Various testing methods have been developed to diagnose the disease. The standard diagnosis method is by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) from a nasopharyngeal swab.
Preventive measures include physical or social distancing, quarantining, ventilation of indoor spaces, covering coughs and sneezes, hand washing, and keeping unwashed hands away from the face. The use of face masks or coverings has been recommended in public settings to minimise the risk of transmissions. Several vaccines have been developed and various countries have initiated mass vaccination campaigns.
Although work is underway to develop drugs that inhibit the virus, the primary treatment is currently symptomatic. Management involves the treatment of symptoms, supportive care, isolation, and experimental measures.