COVID-19

COVID-19, highly contagious respiratory illness, the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 was first detected in 2019 in Wuhan, China. A large proportion of infections in China were undocumented before travel restrictions and other control measures were implemented in late January 2020. As a result, COVID-19 very quickly spread to countries worldwide, giving rise to a multiyear pandemic that resulted in millions of deaths. The pandemic also spurred a revolution in business and education, spawning a reliance on distance learning and work-at-home arrangements and the rise of videoconferencing platforms such as Zoom, which became one of the most downloaded applications worldwide and a household word.

• Read more about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 is caused by a coronavirus known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The disease is transmitted primarily through contact with infectious material, particularly respiratory droplets that enter the environment when an infected person sneezes or coughs. Individuals nearby may inhale or come into contact with these droplets, resulting in disease transmission. Infection may also occur when a person comes into contact with a contaminated surface and then touches his or her mouth, nose, or eyes. Individuals at greatest risk of COVID-19 infection include older adults and persons with chronic illness, largely because of weakened immune function.

COVID-19 is characterized by a variety of symptoms, including fever, cough, congestion, fatigue, shortness of breath, headache, sore throat, nausea or vomiting, loss of smell or taste, and body aches. COVID-19 may progress to severe respiratory illness, with symptoms of chest pain and extreme difficulty in breathing, requiring hospitalization. Some COVID-19 patients who are hospitalized further develop neurological symptoms, including severe fatigue and altered consciousness. Delirium has been observed in many of these patients as well, possibly as a side effect of medication. Delirium and lingering psychological issues, including depression and anxiety, can prolong and complicate recovery.

There is no cure for COVID-19. However, different types of drugs have been used to treat infection and to reduce the severity of the disease. Examples include antiviral drugs, such as remdesivir, molnupiravir, and combined ritonavir and nirmatrelvir; a drug used for pancreatic inflammation called camostat mesilate; and various therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, such as REGEN-COV (casirivimab and imdevimab). COVID-19 vaccines, which became available in late 2020, are highly effective in protecting against severe illness and in limiting the spread of the disease; immunity can be further bolstered through subsequent booster doses of vaccine. Risk of disease transmission can be reduced by measures such as social distancing, disinfection of surfaces, and universal community use of face masks. Self-isolation and self-quarantine are other ways in which the spread of COVID-19 can be stopped.

Survivors of severe COVID-19, particularly those who were hospitalized, are likely to suffer long-term effects. Individuals who required mechanical ventilation might never fully recover; ventilator use is associated with severe muscle atrophy and weakness, which significantly impact survival and quality of life.

The ongoing spread of COVID-19 has been fueled by the emergence of variants in evolving lineages of SARS-CoV-2. Such variants generally carry mutations that strengthen characteristics such as the virus’s ability to infect individuals (including individuals who are vaccinated and who previously had COVID-19), to cause severe disease, and to potentially escape certain treatments. There are numerous variants, the most notable of which is Omicron, which was first detected in Botswana in November 2021 and quickly became the primary circulating strain globally. Omicron spawned multiple sublineages of concern, including BA.4 and BA.5, which are highly infectious, and BA.2, which gave rise to XBB.1.5—a highly transmissible variant, noted for its heightened ability to bind to cells and to replicate.