Everything You Should Know About the 2019 Coronavirus and COVID-19

What is the 2019 coronavirus?

In early 2020, a new virus began generating headlines all over the world because of the unprecedented speed of its transmission.

Its origins have been traced to a food market in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. From there, it’s reached countries as distant as the United States and the Philippines.

The virus (officially named SARS-CoV-2) has been responsible for millions of infections globally, causing hundreds of thousands of deaths. The United States is the country most affected.

The disease caused by an infection with SARS-CoV-2 is called COVID-19, which stands for coronavirus disease 2019.

In spite of the global panic in the news about this virus, you’re unlikely to contract SARS-CoV-2 unless you’ve been in contact with someone who has a SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Let’s bust some myths.

Read on to learn:

    how this coronavirus is transmitted
    how it’s similar to and different from other coronaviruses
    how to prevent transmitting it to others if you suspect you’ve contracted this virus

    HEALTHLINE’S CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE

    Stay informed with our live updates about the current COVID-19 outbreak.

    Also, visit our coronavirus hub for more information on how to prepare, advice on prevention and treatment, and expert recommendations.

What are the symptoms?

Doctors are learning new things about this virus every day. So far, we know that COVID-19 may not initially cause any symptoms for some people.

You may carry the virus for 2 days or up to 2 weeksTrusted Source before you notice symptoms.

Some common symptoms that have been specifically linked to COVID-19 include:

    shortness of breath
    a cough that gets more severe over time
    a low-grade fever that gradually increases in temperature
    fatigue

Less common symptoms include:

    chills
    repeated shaking with chills
    sore throat
    headache
    muscle aches and pains
    loss of taste
    loss of smell

These symptoms may become more severe in some people. Call emergency medical services if you or someone you care for have any of the following symptoms:

    trouble breathing
    blue lips or face
    persistent pain or pressure in the chest
    confusion
    excessive drowsiness

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source is still investigating the full list of symptoms.
COVID-19 versus the flu

We’re still learning about whether the 2019 coronavirus is more or less deadly than the seasonal flu.

This is difficult to determine because the number of total cases, including mild cases in people who don’t seek treatment or get tested, is unknown.

However, early evidence suggests that this coronavirus causes more deaths than the seasonal flu.

An estimated 0.04 to 0.2 percentTrusted Source of people who developed the flu during the 2019–2020 flu season in the United States died as of April 4, 2020.

This is compared to about 6 percent of those with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the United States, according to the CDCTrusted Source.

Here are some common symptoms of the flu:

    cough
    runny or stuffy nose
    sneezing
    sore throat
    fever
    headache
    fatigue
    chills
    body aches

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES
Stay on top of the COVID-19 outbreak

We'll email you once a day as our news team publishes new and updated information about the novel coronavirus, including case counts and treatment information