Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is a novel virus that was discovered to be the cause of a large and rapidly spreading outbreak of respiratory disease, including potentially fatal pneumonia. The disease began in Wuhan, China in January 2020, and has grown to a pandemic and global crisis. The virus was provisionally designated 2019-nCoV and later given the official name SARS-CoV-2.
SARS-CoV-2 is a delicate but highly contagious virus that primarily spreads from person to person. It also spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes, and droplets land on surfaces or objects. Someone who touches the surface and then touches their nose, mouth or eyes can pick up the virus.