What is COVID-19
COVID-19 is a type (strain) of coronavirus. A virus is a very small (microscopic) type of germ that can cause an infection. It can only replicate in a host, such as a person or other living things. You might not always feel sick from viruses. However, viruses can make you seriously ill and cause disease. The disease caused by this virus has different names. The disease is called COVID-19 – Coronavirus Disease 2019 for the year in which it first appeared globally. COVID-19 is also known as “novel coronavirus,” meaning a new type of coronavirus not previously discovered or identified. Coronaviruses are a group (or family) of viruses that cause different illnesses. These illnesses can range from the common cold to more severe diseases, such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
The most common symptoms of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are:
Fever
Cough
Shortness of Breath
Why is everyone so worried about COVID-19
We used to think of a pandemic as a fictitious story plot for a book or movie; scary but really nothing to worry about. Those days are gone now that COVID-19 has made pandemic a “truth”, a reality happening in real time, and everyone is worried.
The reasons everyone is so worried about COVID-19 are that unlike seasonal flu:
It is a new virus
There are still things we don’t know about it
There are no medicines or vaccines for it yet
It is highly contagious and spreading fast
