General COVID-19 Fact Sheet
What is COVID-19?
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the name given by the World Health Organization for a new respiratory disease first identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. It is a pandemic impacting countries all over the world. Coronaviruses are a family of viruses found in people and animals causing a range of illnesses from the common cold to severe respiratory infection. Due to the increased availability of testing, more COVID 19 infections are being identified every day. As it is a newly-identified virus, this is an emerging and rapidly-evolving situation and new information becomes available daily. Stay updated.
How does the COVID-19 Virus Spread?
The virus is thought to spread mainly by “person-to-person” contact. This means close contact within six feet and through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. While humans are thought to be most contagious when symptomatic, the virus can spread even when an infected person is not showing symptoms. It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching his/her mouth, nose, or possibly eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.
What are COVID-19 Symptoms?
Symptoms of a COVID-19 infection may appear 2-14 days after being exposed to the virus. Symptoms range from mild to severe respiratory illness.5 The most common symptoms include:
- Fever
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing
- Tiredness/fatigue
While less common, individuals with COVID-19 may
also experience:
- Aches and pains
- Sore throat
- Nasal congestion
- Runny nose
- Diarrhea
Vulnerable Populations
Current COVID-19 cases and prior coronavirus infections
suggest that the most vulnerable populations include:
- People 65 years and older
- People who live in a nursing home or long-term care facility
- Individuals who are immunocompromised or have pre-existing medical conditions, such as:
- Heart disease
- Lung disease
- Diabetes
Treatment and Recovery
- The overwhelming majority of people infected with COVID-19 experience mild symptoms and recover from the disease without needing special treatment.
- There is no specific antiviral treatment or vaccine for COVID-19.
- Individuals with COVID-19 typically successfully receive treatment to relieve systems.
Live Update of Global Cases of COVID-19
COVID-19 Resources:
- https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
- https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/novel-coronavirus-china
- https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a- coronaviruses
- https://www.who.int/docs/default- source/coronaviruse/who-china-joint-mission-on-covid-19-final-report.pdf
- https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public
- https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/transmission.html
- https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html
- https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses
- https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/COVID19-symptoms.pdf
- https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses
- https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-at-higherrisk.html
- https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6
- https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses
- https://www.who.int/images/default-source/health-topics/coronavirus/myth-busters/mythbuster-4.png
- https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention-treatment.html
