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About COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused bya new coronavirus first identified
in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Because it is a new virus, scientists are learning
more each day.(A) Although most people who have COVID-19 have mild symptoms,
COVID-19 can also cause severe illness and even death. Some groups, including older
adults and people (1) have certain underlying medical conditions, are at increased risk
of severe illness.
(2) February 11, 2020, the World Health Organization announced an official name
for the disease that is causing the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak. The new name of
this disease is coronavirus disease 2019, abbreviated as COVID-19. In COVID-19, CO°
(3) for 'corona, VT for virus,' and D'for disease. Formerly, this disease was referred
(4) as “2019 novel coronavirus" or "2019-nCoV"
Coronaviruses, named for the crown-like spikes on their surfaces, area large family
of viruses that are common in people and many different species of animals, (5) camels,
cattle, cats, and bats. There are many types of human coronaviruses, including some
that commonly cause mild upperrespiratory tract illnesses. COVID-19 is a new
disease, caused by a novel (or new) coronavirus that has not previously been seen in
humans.
(B) Animal coronaviruses rarely infect people and then spread between people.
This occurred with two earlier coronaviruses, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV.
