About the disease

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

COVID-19 is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It's caused by a virus called coronavirus. It was discovered in December 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei, China.

Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.

Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.

What you need to know

How coronavirus is spread

Symptoms of coronavirus

How to protect yourself

Treatment for coronavirus

Myth-Busters of coronavirus

Questions & answers

How coronavirus is spread

Transmission of COVID-19

Because it's a new illness, we do not know exactly how coronavirus spreads from person to person. Similar viruses are spread in cough droplets.

Person-to-person spread as close contact with infected

The coronavirus is thought to spread mainly from person to person. This can happen between people who are in close contact with one another.

Touching or contact with infected surfaces or objects

A person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes.

Droplets that from infected person coughs or sneezes

The coronavirus is thought to spread mainly from person to person. This can happen between people who are in close contact with one another.

What are the symptoms of COVID-19?

Symptoms of Coronavirus

Fever

High Fever – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature). It is a common sign and also may appear in 2-10 days if you affected.

Cough

Continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual).

Shortness of breath

Difficulty breathing – Around 1 out of every 6 people who gets COVID-19 becomes seriously ill and develops difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.

Stay at home and call your doctor: If you think you have been exposed to COVID-19 and develop a fever and any symptoms, such as cough or difficulty breathing, call your healthcare provider as soon as possible for medical advice.

How to Protect Yourself?

Prevention & advice

There is currently no vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. Stay aware of the latest information on the COVID-19 outbreak, available on the WHO website and through your national and local public health authority.

Wash your hands frequently

Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

Maintain social distancing

Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself & anyone who is coughing or sneezing. If you are too close, get chance to infected.

Avoid touching face

Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. So, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth and can make you sick.

Practice respiratory hygiene

Maintain good respiratory hygiene as covering your mouth & nose with your bent elbow or tissue when cough or sneeze.

Q&A on Coronaviruses ]

Take steps to protect others

Stay home if you’re sick – Stay home if you are sick, except to get medical care.
Cover your mouth and nose – with a tissue when you cough or sneeze (throw used tissues in the trash) or use the inside of your elbow.
Wear a facemask if you are sick – You should wear a facemask when you are around other people (e.g., sharing a room or vehicle) and before you enter a healthcare provider’s
Clean AND disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily – This includes phones, tables, light switches, doorknobs, countertops, handles, desks, toilets, faucets, and sinks.
Clean the dirty surfaces – Use detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection.
Stay informed about the local COVID-19 situation – Get up-to-date information about local COVID-19 activity from public health officials.
Dedicated, lined trash can – If possible, dedicate a lined trash can for the ill person. Use gloves when removing garbage bags, and handling & disposing of trash.

Follow steps to wash hands

Why do I need wash hand

Focus on Wrist

Soap on Hand

Palm to Palm

Between Fingers

Back to Hands

Clean with Water

Be carefull & Stay Safe

Treatment for coronavirus

To date, there is no vaccine and no specific antiviral medicine to prevent or treat COVID-2019. However, those affected should receive care to relieve symptoms. People with serious illness should be hospitalized. Most patients recover thanks to supportive care.

Antibiotics do not help, as they do not work against viruses. Treatment aims to relieve the symptoms while your body fights the illness. You'll need to stay in isolation, away from other people, until you have recovered.

Self Care

If you have mild symptoms, stay at home until you’ve recovered. You can relieve your symptoms if you:

Rest and sleep
Keep warm
Drink plenty of liquids
Use a room humidifier or take a hot shower to help ease a sore throat and cough

Medical Treatments

If you develop a fever, cough, and have difficulty breathing, promptly seek medical care. Call in advance and tell your health provider of any recent travel or recent contact with travelers.

Do’s & Don’ts

Protect yourself

The best thing you can do now is plan for how you can adapt your daily routine. Take few steps to protect yourself as Clean your hands often, Avoid close contact, Cover coughs and sneezes, clean daily used surfaces etc. The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus.

Avoid Close Contact

Don’t Touch Face

Social Distancing

Wash Your Hands

Drink Much Watar

Use Face Mask

Frequently Asked Questions

Common Question & Answer

Coronavirus Disease 2019 Basics
How It Spreads
How to Protect Yourself
Symptoms & Testing
Outbreak in Your Community
Myth-Busters of coronavirus

What is a novel coronavirus?

On February 11, 2020 the World Health Organization announced an official name for the disease that is causing the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak, first identified in Wuhan China. The new name of this disease is coronavirus disease 2019, abbreviated as COVID-19. In COVID-19, ‘CO’ stands for ‘corona,’ ‘VI’ for ‘virus,’ and ‘D’ for disease. Formerly, this disease was referred to as “2019 novel coronavirus” or “2019-nCoV”.

A novel coronavirus is a new coronavirus that has not been previously identified. The virus causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is not the same as the coronaviruses that commonly circulate among humans and cause mild illness, like the common cold.

Why is the disease being called coronavirus disease 2019, COVID-19?

How can people help stop stigma related to COVID-19?

Why might someone blame or avoid individuals and groups?

What is the source of the virus?

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses. Some cause illness in people, and others, such as canine and feline coronaviruses, only infect animals. Rarely, animal coronaviruses that infect animals have emerged to infect people and can spread between people. This is suspected to have occurred for the virus that causes COVID-19. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) are two other examples of coronaviruses that originated from animals and then spread to people. More information about the source and spread of COVID-19 is available on the Situation Summary: Source and Spread of the Virus.

How does the virus spread?

Can someone who has had COVID-19 spread the illness to others?

The virus that causes COVID-19 is spreading from person-to-person. Someone who is actively sick with COVID-19 can spread the illness to others. That is why CDC recommends that these patients be isolated either in the hospital or at home (depending on how sick they are) until they are better and no longer pose a risk of infecting others.

How long someone is actively sick can vary so the decision on when to release someone from isolation is made on a case-by-case basis in consultation with doctors, infection prevention and control experts, and public health officials and involves considering specifics of each situation including disease severity, illness signs and symptoms, and results of laboratory testing for that patient.

Current CDC guidance for when it is OK to release someone from isolation is made on a case by case basis and includes meeting all of the following requirements:

The patient is free from fever without the use of fever-reducing medications.

The patient is no longer showing symptoms, including cough.

The patient has tested negative on at least two consecutive respiratory specimens collected at least 24 hours apart.

Someone who has been released from isolation is not considered to pose a risk of infection to others.

Will warm weather stop the outbreak of COVID-19?

Can the virus that causes COVID-19 be spread through food, including refrigerated or frozen food?

Coronaviruses are generally thought to be spread from person-to-person through respiratory droplets. Currently there is no evidence to support transmission of COVID-19 associated with food. Before preparing or eating food it is important to always wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds for general food safety. Throughout the day wash your hands after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing, or going to the bathroom.

It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.

In general, because of poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely very low risk of spread from food products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient, refrigerated, or frozen temperatures.

Learn what is known about the spread of COVID-19.

What is community spread?

What can I do to protect myself and prevent the spread of disease?

Protection measures for everyone

Stay aware of the latest information on the COVID-19 outbreak, available on the WHO website and through your national and local public health authority. Many countries around the world have seen cases of COVID-19 and several have seen outbreaks. Authorities in China and some other countries have succeeded in slowing or stopping their outbreaks. However, the situation is unpredictable so check regularly for the latest news.

You can reduce your chances of being infected or spreading COVID-19 by taking some simple precautions:

Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water.

Why? Washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub kills viruses that may be on your hands.
Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.

Why? When someone coughs or sneezes they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease.
Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth.

Why? Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick.
Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately.

Why? Droplets spread virus. By following good respiratory hygiene you protect the people around you from viruses such as cold, flu and COVID-19.
Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance. Follow the directions of your local health authority.

Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on the situation in your area. Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility. This will also protect you and help prevent spread of viruses and other infections.
Keep up to date on the latest COVID-19 hotspots (cities or local areas where COVID-19 is spreading widely). If possible, avoid traveling to places – especially if you are an older person or have diabetes, heart or lung disease.

Why? You have a higher chance of catching COVID-19 in one of these areas.

What should I do if I had close contact with someone who has COVID-19?

Household members, intimate partners, and caregivers in a nonhealthcare setting may have close contact2 with a person with symptomatic, laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 or a person under investigation. Close contacts should monitor their health; they should call their healthcare provider right away if they develop symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 (e.g., fever, cough, shortness of breath)

Close contacts should also follow these recommendations:

Make sure that you understand and can help the patient follow their healthcare provider’s instructions for medication(s) and care. You should help the patient with basic needs in the home and provide support for getting groceries, prescriptions, and other personal needs.
Monitor the patient’s symptoms. If the patient is getting sicker, call his or her healthcare provider and tell them that the patient has laboratory-confirmed COVID-19. This will help the healthcare provider’s office take steps to keep other people in the office or waiting room from getting infected. Ask the healthcare provider to call the local or state health department for additional guidance. If the patient has a medical emergency and you need to call 911, notify the dispatch personnel that the patient has, or is being evaluated for COVID-19.
Household members should stay in another room or be separated from the patient as much as possible. Household members should use a separate bedroom and bathroom, if available.
Prohibit visitors who do not have an essential need to be in the home.
Household members should care for any pets in the home. Do not handle pets or other animals while sick. For more information, see COVID-19 and Animals.
Make sure that shared spaces in the home have good air flow, such as by an air conditioner or an opened window, weather permitting.
Perform hand hygiene frequently. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60 to 95% alcohol, covering all surfaces of your hands and rubbing them together until they feel dry. Soap and water should be used preferentially if hands are visibly dirty.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
The patient should wear a facemask when you are around other people. If the patient is not able to wear a facemask (for example, because it causes trouble breathing), you, as the caregiver, should wear a mask when you are in the same room as the patient.
Wear a disposable facemask and gloves when you touch or have contact with the patient’s blood, stool, or body fluids, such as saliva, sputum, nasal mucus, vomit, urine.
- Throw out disposable facemasks and gloves after using them. Do not reuse.
- When removing personal protective equipment, first remove and dispose of gloves. Then, immediately clean your hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Next, remove and dispose of facemask, and immediately clean your hands again with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Avoid sharing household items with the patient. You should not share dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, bedding, or other items. After the patient uses these items, you should wash them thoroughly (see below “Wash laundry thoroughly”).
Clean all “high-touch” surfaces, such as counters, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, tablets, and bedside tables, every day. Also, clean any surfaces that may have blood, stool, or body fluids on them.
- Use a household cleaning spray or wipe, according to the label instructions. Labels contain instructions for safe and effective use of the cleaning product including precautions you should take when applying the product, such as wearing gloves and making sure you have good ventilation during use of the product.
Wash laundry thoroughly.
- Immediately remove and wash clothes or bedding that have blood, stool, or body fluids on them.
- Wear disposable gloves while handling soiled items and keep soiled items away from your body. Clean your hands (with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer) immediately after removing your gloves.
- Read and follow directions on labels of laundry or clothing items and detergent. In general, using a normal laundry detergent according to washing machine instructions and dry thoroughly using the warmest temperatures recommended on the clothing label.
Place all used disposable gloves, facemasks, and other contaminated items in a lined container before disposing of them with other household waste. Clean your hands (with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer) immediately after handling these items. Soap and water should be used preferentially if hands are visibly dirty.
Discuss any additional questions with your state or local health department or healthcare provider. Check available hours when contacting your local health department.

Who is at higher risk for serious illness from COVID-19?

What should people at higher risk of serious illness with COVID-19 do?

Should I wear a mask to protect myself?

What are the symptoms of COVID-19?

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, tiredness, and dry cough. Some patients may have aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat or diarrhea. These symptoms are usually mild and begin gradually. Some people become infected but don’t develop any symptoms and don't feel unwell. Most people (about 80%) recover from the disease without needing special treatment. Around 1 out of every 6 people who gets COVID-19 becomes seriously ill and develops difficulty breathing. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes, are more likely to develop serious illness. People with fever, cough and difficulty breathing should seek medical attention.

Read about COVID-19 Symptoms from CDC.gov.

Should I be tested for COVID-19?

Where can I get tested for COVID-19?

Can a person test negative and later test positive for COVID-19?

What should I do if there is an outbreak in my community?

During an outbreak, stay calm and put your preparedness plan to work. Follow the steps below:

Protect yourself and others.

Stay home if you are sick. Keep away from people who are sick. Limit close contact with others as much as possible (about 6 feet).

Put your household plan into action.

Stay informed about the local COVID-19 situation. Be aware of temporary school dismissals in your area, as this may affect your household’s daily routine.
Continue practicing everyday preventive actions. Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue and wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains 60% alcohol. Clean frequently touched surfaces and objects daily using a regular household detergent and water.
Notify your workplace as soon as possible if your regular work schedule changes. Ask to work from home or take leave if you or someone in your household gets sick with COVID-19 symptoms, or if your child’s school is dismissed temporarily. Learn how businesses and employers can plan for and respond to COVID-19.
Stay in touch with others by phone or email. If you have a chronic medical condition and live alone, ask family, friends, and health care providers to check on you during an outbreak. Stay in touch with family and friends, especially those at increased risk of developing severe illness, such as older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions.

How do I prepare my children in case of COVID-19 outbreak in our community?

What steps should parents take to protect children during a community outbreak?

Will schools be dismissed if there is an outbreak in my community?

Can the virus that causes COVID-19 be spread through food, including refrigerated or frozen food?

Learn what is known about the spread of COVID-19.

Should I go to work if there is an outbreak in my community?

COVID-19 virus can be transmitted in areas with hot and humid climates?

From the evidence so far, the COVID-19 virus can be transmitted in ALL AREAS, including areas with hot and humid weather. Regardless of climate, adopt protective measures if you live in, or travel to an area reporting COVID-19. The best way to protect yourself against COVID-19 is by frequently cleaning your hands. By doing this you eliminate viruses that may be on your hands and avoid infection that could occur by then touching your eyes, mouth, and nose.

Cold weather and snow CANNOT kill the new coronavirus

Taking a hot bath does not prevent the new coronavirus disease

The new coronavirus CANNOT be transmitted through mosquito bites.

Are hand dryers effective in killing the new coronavirus?

Can an ultraviolet disinfection lamp kill the new coronavirus?

How effective are thermal scanners in detecting people infected with the new coronavirus?

Do vaccines against pneumonia protect you against the new coronavirus?

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