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Editor’s note: For the latest updates on the 2020 coronavirus outbreak, see our<\/em> news coverage<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n A\u00a0coronavirus<\/a>\u00a0is a kind of common virus that causes an infection in your nose,\u00a0sinuses<\/a>, or upper throat. Most coronaviruses aren’t dangerous.<\/p>\n In early 2020, after a December 2019\u00a0outbreak<\/a>\u00a0in China, the World Health Organization identified SARS-CoV-2 as a new type of\u00a0coronavirus<\/a>. The outbreak quickly spread around the world.<\/p>\n COVID-19<\/a> is a disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 that can trigger what doctors call a respiratory tract infection. It can affect your upper respiratory tract (sinuses<\/a>, nose, and throat) or lower respiratory tract (windpipe and\u00a0lungs<\/a>).<\/p>\n It spreads the same way other coronaviruses do, mainly through person-to-person contact. Infections range from mild to deadly.<\/p>\n SARS-CoV-2 is one of seven types of coronavirus, including the ones that cause severe diseases like Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and sudden acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The other coronaviruses cause most of the colds that affect us during the year but aren\u2019t a serious threat for otherwise healthy people.<\/p>\n Is there more than one strain of SARS-CoV-2?<\/p>\n It\u2019s normal for a virus to change, or mutate, as it infects people. A Chinese study of 103 COVID-19 cases suggests the virus that causes it has done just that. They found two strains<\/a>, which they named L and S. The S type is older, but the L type was more common in early stages of the outbreak. They think one may cause more cases of the disease than the other, but they\u2019re still working on what it all means.<\/p>\n How long will the coronavirus last?<\/p>\n It\u2019s too soon to tell how long the pandemic will continue. It depends on many things, including researchers\u2019 work to learn more about the virus, their search for a treatment and a vaccine, and the public\u2019s efforts to slow the spread.<\/p>\n More than 100 vaccine candidates are in various stages of development and testing. This process usually takes years. Researchers are speeding it up as much as they can, but it still might take 12 to 18 months to find a vaccine that works and is safe.<\/p>\n The main symptoms include:<\/p>\n The virus can lead to pneumonia<\/a>, respiratory failure, septic shock<\/a>, and death. Many COVID-19 complications may be caused by a condition known as cytokine release syndrome or a cytokine storm. This is when an infection triggers your immune system to flood your bloodstream with inflammatory proteins called cytokines. They can kill tissue and damage your organs.<\/p>\n If you notice the following severe symptoms in yourself or a loved one, get medical help right away:<\/p>\n Strokes have also been reported in some people who have COVID-19. Remember FAST:<\/p>\n If you\u2019re infected, symptoms can show up in as few as 2 days or as many as 14. It varies from person to person.<\/p>\n According to researchers in China, these were the most common symptoms among people who had COVID-19:<\/p>\n Some people who are hospitalized for COVID-19 have also have dangerous blood clots, including in their legs, lungs, and arteries.<\/p>\n What to do if you think you have it<\/p>\n If you live in or have traveled to an area where COVID-19 is spreading:<\/p>\n For more information about COVID-19, see our FAQ<\/a>.<\/p>\n How do I know if it\u2019s COVID-19, a cold, or the flu?<\/p>\n Symptoms of COVID-19 can be similar to a bad cold<\/a> or the flu. Your doctor will suspect COVID-19 if:<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\nWhat Is COVID-19?<\/h2>\n
Symptoms of COVID-19<\/h2>\n
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