COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a new coronavirus discovered after an outbreak in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.
Since the initial outbreak, this coronavirus, known as SARS-CoV-2, has spread to more than 100 countries around the world, and has affected many thousands of people.
As yet, there’s no vaccine against the novel coronavirus. Researchers are currently working on creating a vaccine specifically for this virus, as well as potential treatments for COVID-19.
Coronaviruses are a diverse family of viruses that can infect both humans and animals. Several types of coronaviruses cause mild upper respiratory illness in humans. Others, such as SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, can cause more severe respiratory illness.
In late 2019, a novel coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2 emerged in China. This virus has since spread to many other countries throughout the world. An infection with SARS-CoV-2 causes a respiratory illness called COVID-19.
COVID-19 can have potentially serious complications, such as trouble breathing and pneumonia. Because of this, it’s important to be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and how they differ from other conditions.
Continue reading to learn more about the symptoms of COVID-19, how they differ from other respiratory conditions, and what you should do if you think you’ve become ill.
Not everyone with a SARS-CoV-2 infection will feel unwell. It’s possible to have the virus and not develop symptoms. When symptoms are present, they’re typically mild and develop slowly. The most common symptoms are:
Some people with COVID-19 may sometimes experience additional symptoms, such as:
Some observations suggest that respiratory symptoms may worsen in the second week of illness. This appears to occur after 8 or 9 daysTrusted Source.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 1 in 5 peopleTrusted Source with COVID-19 become seriously ill. These individuals can develop severe pneumonia or respiratory failure and may require oxygen or mechanical ventilation.