Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person. The outbreak first started in China, but cases have been identified in a growing number of other areas, including the United States.
Patients with COVID-19 have had mild to severe respiratory illness.
- Data suggests that symptoms may appear in as few as 2 days or as long as 14 days after exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19.
- Symptoms can include fever, cough, difficulty breathing, and shortness of breath.
- The virus causing COVID-19 is called SARS-CoV-2. It is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person via respiratory droplets among close contacts. Respiratory droplets are produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes and can land in the mouths or noses, or possibly be inhaled into the lungs, of people who are nearby.
– Close contact increases your risk for COVID-19, including:
» Being within approximately 6 feet of an individual with COVID-19 for a prolonged period of time.
» Having direct contact with body fluids (such as blood, phlegm, and respiratory droplets) from an individual with COVID-19.
