COVID-19

Terminology

COVID-19 is an abbreviated term that stands for "COronaVIrus Disease 2019" meaning the disease caused by the novel coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, China in late 2019. The virus that causes COVID-19 is called "SARS-CoV-2" which stands for "Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus 2."  SARS-CoV-2 is given the "2" after SARS-CoV-1 which is the most closely related human coronavirus. SARS-CoV-1 caused the 2002-2004 SARS Outbreak. SARS-CoV-2 is causing the the 2020-2021 Pandemic. 

Historical Context

The World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic in March 2020, and it is currently still at pandemic status. This pandemic has resulted in lock-downs, economic recession, housing crisis, widespread misinformation and conspiracy, and over 1,800,000 (one million eight hundred thousand) deaths globally.

Health Information

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic | WHO
https://www.who.int/covid-19

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public | WHO

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public

COVID-19 | CDC
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

COVID-19 Q&A | WHO

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/question-and-answers-hub

WHO is continuously monitoring and responding to this pandemic. This Q&A will be updated as more is known about COVID-19, how it spreads and how it is affecting people worldwide.

New COVID-19 Variants | CDC

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/transmission/variant.html

Information about the characteristics of these variants is rapidly emerging. Scientists are working to learn more about how easily they might spread, whether they could cause more severe illness, and whether currently authorized vaccines will protect people against them. At this time, there is no evidence that these variants cause more severe illness or increased risk of death.