COVID-19: A novel threat

Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person. The virus that causes COVID-19 is a novel corona virus that was first identified during an investigation into an outbreak in Wuhan, China.

COVID-19 is spreading from person to person in almost all the countries worldwide. Risk of infection with COVID-19 is higher for people who are close contacts of someone known to have COVID-19, for example healthcare workers, or household members. Other people at higher risk for infection are those who live in or have recently been in an area with ongoing spread of COVID-19. Infection from corona virus can be characterised by common symptoms such as fever, cough and fatigue, while other symptoms may include sputum production, headache and pneumonia.

The virus that causes COVID-19 probably emerged from an animal source, but is now spreading in human beings. The virus is thought to spread mainly between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet) through respiratory droplets produced mainly when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It may also possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that is infected from virus and after that touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.