Coronavirus disease 2019 is a contagious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The first case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. It has since spread worldwide, leading to an ongoing pandemic. 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. Around one in five infected individuals do not develop any symptoms. While most people have mild symptoms, some people develop acute respiratory distress syndrome. ARDS can be precipitated by cytokine storms, multi-organ failure, septic shock, and blood clots. Longer-term damage to organs has been observed. There is concern about a significant number of patients who have recovered from the acute phase of the disease but continue to experience a range of effects—known as long COVID—for months afterwards.

Symptoms: Fever, cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell, sometimes no symptoms at all

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

Treatment: Symptomatic and supportive