What is corona

SARS stands for severe acute respiratory syndrome. In , an outbreak of SARS affected people in several countries before ending in This is likely because of how easily it is transmitted person to person, even from asymptomatic carriers of the virus.

Yes, there are different variants of this coronavirus. In December , B. Mutations may enable the coronavirus to spread faster from person to person, and may cause more severe disease. More infections can result in more people getting very sick and also create more opportunity for the virus to develop further mutations.

Read more about coronavirus variants. Health Home Conditions and Diseases. What Is Coronavirus? How did the coronavirus start? What have you learned about coronavirus in the last six months? What are symptoms of coronavirus? How do you protect yourself from this coronavirus? Check Now. Why is it called coronavirus? Is this coronavirus different from SARS? This includes how they are passed from one individual to another, and the differing symptoms of coronaviruses.

Early reports suggest that the new coronavirus is more contagious than the virus that caused SARS but less likely to cause severe disease. To date seven human coronaviruses HCoVs have been identified see table below. However, they contribute to a third of common cold infections and, in higher risk people with weak immune systems, they can cause long term, life-threatening illnesses.

Because this virus is new, no-one has any immunity to it. This means it will potentially infect very large numbers of people. And even though the number of very severe cases is low in percentage terms, a small percentage of a very large number adds up to many people with acute illness. It is thought that all seven human coronaviruses might have been transmitted to humans from other animals.

It is possible that the transfer of the new COVID-1 from its original host species to humans involved another animal species, such as the pangolin, as an intermediate host. Learn more about coronavirus disease and the course of infection here.

Coronaviruses and disease. Origin and evolution of pathogenic coronaviruses. Nature Reviews Microbiology. DOI: A new coronavirus associated with human respiratory disease in China.

If your pet gets hand sanitizer on their skin or fur, rinse or wipe down your pet with water immediately. If your pet ingests hand sanitizer such as by chewing the bottle or is showing signs of illness after use, contact your veterinarian or pet poison control immediately. Talk to your veterinarian about any health concerns you have about your pets. Some veterinarians may offer telemedicine consultations or other plans for seeing sick pets.

Currently, there is no evidence to suggest that wildlife might be a source of infection for people in the United States. Other coronaviruses have been found in North American bats in the past, but there is currently no evidence that the virus that causes COVID is present in bats in the United States.

Bats are an important part of natural ecosystems, and their populations are already declining in the United States. Bat populations could be further threatened by the disease itself or by harm inflicted on bats resulting from a misconception that bats are spreading COVID Community mitigation is a set of actions that people and communities can take to slow the spread of infectious diseases like COVID The goal of community mitigation in areas with local COVID transmission is to slow its spread and to protect all individuals, especially those at increased risk for severe illness , while minimizing the negative impacts of these strategies.

For more information, see Community Mitigation Framework. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Section Navigation. Important update: Healthcare facilities. Learn more. To maximize protection from the Delta variant and prevent possibly spreading it to others, get vaccinated as soon as you can and wear a mask indoors in public if you are in an area of substantial or high transmission.

Updated Oct. Minus Related Pages. What are you looking for? Enter a word or phrase below to locate questions and answers that match. On This Page. How does the virus spread? COVID is spread in three main ways: Breathing in air when close to an infected person who is exhaling small droplets and particles that contain the virus.

Having these small droplets and particles that contain virus land on the eyes, nose, or mouth, especially through splashes and sprays like a cough or sneeze. Touching eyes, nose, or mouth with hands that have the virus on them. What is community spread? How can I protect myself? What should I do if I get sick or someone in my house gets sick?

People who have been in close contact with someone who has COVID—excluding people who have had COVID within the past 3 months or who are fully vaccinated People who have tested positive for COVID within the past 3 months and recovered do not have to quarantine or get tested again as long as they do not develop new symptoms. People who develop symptoms again within 3 months of their first bout of COVID may need to be tested again if there is no other cause identified for their symptoms.

People who have been in close contact with someone who has COVID are not required to quarantine if they have been fully vaccinated against the disease and show no symptoms. Stay at home except to get medical care. Separate yourself from others.