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Mar 15, 2024 · Find links to guidance and information on all topics related to COVID-19, including the COVID-19 vaccine, symptom self-check, data, and other topics. CDC provides credible COVID-19 health information to the U.S.
- Symptoms
Symptoms can include: Fever, cough, shortness of breath. CDC...
- How it Spreads
The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person:...
- Prevention and Treatment
There is currently no vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease...
- Information for Travel
This page includes information about Coronavirus Disease...
- Cases in the US
Cases have been identified in a growing number of...
- FAQ
Disease basics, prevention, pregnancy and COVID-19, public...
- Symptoms
- What is COVID-19?
- How does COVID-19 spread?
- What are antibodies and how do they help protect me?
- What are ways to prevent COVID-19?
- Who is at risk of severe illness from COVID-19?
- What are variants of COVID-19?
COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) is a disease caused by a virus named SARS-CoV-2. It can be very contagious and spreads quickly. Over one million people have died from COVID-19 in the United States.
COVID-19 most often causes respiratory symptoms that can feel much like a cold, the flu, or pneumonia. COVID-19 may attack more than your lungs and respiratory system. Other parts of your body may also be affected by the disease. Most people with COVID-19 have mild symptoms, but some people become severely ill.
Some people including those with minor or no symptoms will develop Post-COVID Conditions – also called “Long COVID.”
COVID-19 SymptomsAbout Long COVID
COVID-19 spreads when an infected person breathes out droplets and very small particles that contain the virus. Other people can breathe in these droplets and particles, or these droplets and particles can land on their eyes, nose, or mouth. In some circumstances, these droplets may contaminate surfaces they touch.
Anyone infected with COVID-19 can spread it, even if they do NOT have symptoms.
The risk of animals spreading the virus that causes COVID-19 to people is low. The virus can spread from people to animals during close contact. People with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 should avoid contact with animals.
How COVID-19 Spreads
Antibodies are proteins your immune system makes to help fight infection and protect you from getting sick in the future. A positive antibody test result can help identify someone who has had COVID-19 in the past or has been vaccinated against COVID-19. Studies show that people who have antibodies from an infection with the virus that causes COVID-19 can improve their level of protection by getting vaccinated.
About Antibodies
There are many actions you can take to help protect you, your household, and your community from COVID-19. CDC’s COVID-19 hospital admission levels help individuals and communities decide when to take action to protect yourself and others based on the latest data and information from your area.
In addition to staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and basic health and hygiene practices like handwashing, CDC recommends some prevention actions at all COVID-19 hospital admission levels.
Some people are more likely than others to get very sick if they get COVID-19. This includes people who are older, are immunocompromised, have certain disabilities, or have underlying health conditions. Understanding your COVID-19 risk and the risks that might affect others can help you make decisions to protect yourself and others.
About Risk FactorsAbout Exposure Risks
Viruses are constantly changing, including the virus that causes COVID-19. These changes occur over time and can lead to new strains of the virus or variants of COVID-19 . Slowing the spread of the virus, by protecting yourself and others, can help slow new variants from developing. CDC is working with state and local public health officials to monitor the spread of all variants, including Omicron.
About Variants
Last Updated July 10, 2023
Source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), Division of Viral Diseases
Mar 27, 2024 · COVID-19, also called coronavirus disease 2019, is an illness caused by a virus. The virus is called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, or more commonly, SARS-CoV-2. It started spreading at the end of 2019 and became a pandemic disease in 2020.
Mar 18, 2024 · Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Healthcare Personnel During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic. Updated Mar. 18, 2024. Print. The recommendations in this guidance continue to apply after the expiration of the federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.
- Can employees choose to wear respirators when not required by the employer?In situations where the use of a respirator is not required either by the employer or by an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) st...
- What should visitors use for source control (masks or respirators) when visiting healthcare faciliti...CDC recommends that people visiting healthcare facilities use the most protective form of source control (masks or respirators) that fits well and...
- Why does CDC continue to recommend respiratory protection with a NIOSH-approved particulate respirat...CDC’s guidance to use NIOSH-approved particulate respirators with N95 filters or higher when providing care for patients with suspected or confirme...
- What personal protective equipment (PPE) should be worn by individuals transporting patients with su...In general, transport and movement of a patient with suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection outside of their room should be limited to medical...
- What personal protective equipment (PPE) should be worn by environmental services (EVS) personnel wh...In general, minimize the number of personnel entering the room of patients who have SARS-CoV-2 infection. Healthcare facilities should consider ass...
- Which procedures are considered aerosol generating procedures in healthcare settings?Some procedures performed on patients are more likely to generate higher concentrations of infectious respiratory aerosols than coughing, sneezing,...
- How long does an examination room need to remain vacant after being occupied by a patient with confi...The amount of time that the air inside an examination room remains potentially infectious depends on a number of factors including the size of the...
- Does CDC recommend the use of oral antimicrobial rinses before dental appointments to prevent the tr...Preprocedural mouth rinses (PPMR) with an antimicrobial product (e.g. chlorhexidine gluconate, povidone-iodine) have been shown to reduce the level...
Jun 18, 2020 · The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in 5,817,385 reported cases and 362,705 deaths worldwide through May, 30, 2020, † including 1,761,503 aggregated reported cases and 103,700 deaths in the United States. § Previous analyses during February–early April 2020 indicated that age ≥65 years and underlying health ...
- Erin K. Stokes, Laura D. Zambrano, Kayla N. Anderson, Ellyn P. Marder, Kala M. Raz, Suad El Burai Fe...
- 2020
COVID-19 deaths are identified using a new ICD–10 code. When COVID-19 is reported as a cause of death – or when it is listed as a “probable” or “presumed” cause — the death is coded as U07.1. This can include cases with or without laboratory confirmation. Why These Numbers are Different
Aug 24, 2021 · 21-ID-01. Background. In late December 2019, investigation of a cluster of pneumonia cases of unknown origin in Wuhan, China, resulted in identification of a novel coronavirus.
