COVID-19
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), formerly known as 2019 Novel Coronavirus. This is a rapidly evolving situation.
Q. What is COVID-19?
A. COVID-19 is a new virus that causes respiratory illness in people and can spread from person to person. The COVID-19 outbreak began in December 2019 and Chinese health officials have reported thousands of COVID-19 infections in China, including some that resulted in death.
Other countries, including the United States, have also reported cases of COVID-19 infection. For the latest developments, including current case counts.A. COVID-19 is a new virus that causes respiratory illness in people and can spread from person to person. The COVID-19 outbreak began in December 2019 and Chinese health officials have reported thousands of COVID-19 infections in China, including some that resulted in death.
Q: Why is the disease causing the outbreak now being called coronavirus disease 2019, COVID-19?
A: 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.”
There are many types of human coronaviruses including some that commonly cause mild upper-respiratory tract illnesses. COVID-19 is a new disease, caused be a novel (or new) coronavirus that has not previously been seen in humans. The name of this disease was selected following the World Health Organization (WHO) best practice for naming of new human nfectious diseases.
A: On February 11, 2020, the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses, charged with naming new viruses, named the novel coronavirus, first identified in Wuhan, China, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, shortened to SARS-CoV-2.
As the name indicates, the virus is related to the SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) that caused an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2002-2003, however it is not the same virus.
A: Public health officials and partners are working hard to identify the original animal source of the virus that causes COVID-19. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some causing illness in people and others that circulate among animals, including camels, cats and bats. Analysis of the genetic tree of this virus indicates it originated in bats, but whether the virus jumped directly from bats or whether there was an intermediary animal host is not, yet, known. SARS-CoV, another bat-origin coronavirus jumped to infect people via civets, while MERS-CoV, another bat-origin coronavirus jumped to people via camels. More information about the source and spread of this novel coronavirus available on the COVID-19 Situation Summary: Source and Spread of the Virus.
A: The new coronavirus seems to be spreading from person-to-person. Learn what is known about the spread of COVID-19.
Current understanding about how the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spreads is largely based on what is known about similar coronaviruses.
Person-to-person spread
The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person.
- Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet)
- Via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
- These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.
Spread from contact with infected surfaces or objects
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.
When does spread happen?
- People are thought to be most contagious when they are most symptomatic (the sickest).
- Some spread might be possible before people show symptoms; there have been reports of this with this new coronavirus, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.
How efficiently does the virus spread?
How easily a virus spreads from person-to-person can vary. Some viruses are highly contagious (like measles), while other viruses are less so. Another factor is whether the spread continues over multiple generations of people (if spread is sustained). The virus that causes COVID-19 seems to be spreading easily and sustainably in Hubei province and other parts of China. In the United States, spread from person-to-person has occurred only among a few close contacts and has not spread any further to date.
There is still more to be learned
COVID-19 is an emerging disease and there is more to learn about its transmissibility, severity, and other features and what will happen in the United States. New information will further inform the risk assessment.
A: 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.
A: Quarantine means separating a person or group of people who have been exposed to a contagious disease but have not developed illness (symptoms) from others who have not been exposed, in order to prevent the possible spread of that disease. Quarantine is usually established for the incubation period of the communicable disease, which is the span of time during which people have developed illness after exposure. For COVID-19, the period of quarantine is 14 days from the last date of exposure, because 14 days is the longest incubation period seen for similar coronaviruses. Someone who has been released from COVID-19 quarantine is not considered a risk for spreading the virus to others because they have not developed illness during the incubation period.
A: No. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some causing illness in people and others that circulate among animals, including camels, cats, and bats. The recently emerged SARS-CoV-2 is not the same as the coronavirus that causes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Genetic analyses indicates that SARS-CoV-2 is related to the SARS-CoV associated with an outbreak of respiratory illness among people in 2002-2003.
Prevention
A: Visit the COVID-19 Prevention and Treatment page to learn about how to protect yourself from respiratory illnesses, like COVID-19.
A: There is information for people who have had close contact with a person confirmed to have, or being evaluated for, COVID-19 available online.
Q: Does CDC recommend the use of facemask in the community to prevent COVID-19?
A: CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. You should only wear a mask if a healthcare professional recommends it. A facemask should be used by people who have COVID-19 and are showing symptoms. This is to protect others from the risk of getting infected. The use of facemasks also is crucial for health workers and other people who are taking care of someone infected with COVID-19 in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).
The World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) advise international travelers to practice these usual health precautions:
- Avoid close contact with people suffering from acute respiratory infections
- Avoid visiting healthcare facilities in a country with cases of COVID-19
- Practice frequent hand washing especially after direct contact with ill people or their environment
- Avoid close contact with live or dead farm or wild animals. Touching poultry/birds or their droppings should be avoided, as well as visiting live poultry markets or farms
- Travelers with symptoms of acute respiratory infection should practice cough etiquette (maintain distance, cover your mouth when you cough and sneeze with disposable tissue or clothing. Wear surgical masks to minimize airborne transmission of infection)
Immediately seek medical attention in case of symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness during or within 14 days after travel.
Medical Information
A: Current symptoms reported for patients with COVID-19 have included mild to severe respiratory illness with fever1, cough, and difficulty breathing. Read about COVID-19 Symptoms.
For confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases, reported illnesses have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death. Symptoms can include:
- Fever
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
CDC believes at this time that symptoms of COVID-19 may appear in as few as 2 days or as long as 14 days after exposure. This is based on what has been seen previously as the incubation period of MERS-CoV viruses.
A: If you develop a fever1 and symptoms of respiratory illness, such as cough or shortness of breath, within 14 days after travel from China, you should call ahead to a healthcare professional and mention your recent travel or close contact. If you have had close contact2 with someone showing these symptoms who has recently traveled from this area, you should call ahead to a healthcare professional and mention your close contact and their recent travel. Your healthcare professional will work with your state’s public health department and CDC to determine if you need to be tested for COVID-19.
A: At this time, diagnostic testing for COVID-19 can be conducted only at CDC.
State and local health departments who have identified a person under investigation (PUI) should immediately notify CDC’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to report the PUI and determine whether testing for COVID-19 at CDC is indicated. The EOC will assist local/state health departments to collect, store, and ship specimens appropriately to CDC, including during afterhours or on weekends/holidays.
For more information on specimen collection see CDC Information for Laboratories.
A: Using the CDC-developed diagnostic test, a negative result means that the virus that causes COVID-19 was not found in the person’s sample. In the early stages of infection, it is possible the virus will not be detected.
For COVID-19, a negative test result for a sample collected while a person has symptoms likely means that the COVID-19 virus is not causing their current illness.
A: For recommendations and guidance on persons under investigation; infection control, including personal protective equipment guidance; home care and isolation; and case investigation, see Information for Healthcare Professionals. For information on specimen collection and shipment, see Information for Laboratories. For information for public health professional on COVID-19, see Information for Public Health Professionals.
Is the outbreak a pandemic?
A pandemic, in WHO terms, is “the worldwide spread of a disease”. Coronavirus cases have been confirmed outside China, but by no means in all 195 countries on the WHO’s list. It is also not spreading within those countries at the moment, except in a very few cases. By far the majority of cases are travellers who picked up the virus in China.
Should we panic?
No. The spread of the virus outside China is worrying but not an unexpected development. The WHO has declared the outbreak to be a public health emergency of international concern. The key issues are how transmissible this new coronavirus is between people, and what proportion become severely ill and end up in hospital. Often viruses that spread easily tend to have a milder impact. Generally, the coronavirus appears to be hitting older people hardest, with few cases in children.
Update as of 02/18/2020: Over 73,000
confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease
confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease
(COVID-19) have been reported globally. A
novel coronavirus was reported
novel coronavirus was reported
by authorities in Wuhan, Chinalast December
2019. The coronavirus disease or
2019. The coronavirus disease or
COVID-19, is a new strain that has notbeen previously seen in humans. As of
February 18, 2020, a total of 73,332 cases have
been infected from different
been infected from different
parts of the world, with a majority of this
number coming from China.
number coming from China.
COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS / CASES
UPDATES - Cases - Deaths - Countries - Death Rate - Incubation - Age - Symptoms - Opinions
Last updated: February 23, 2020, 07:15 GMT
Coronavirus Cases
There are currently 78,777 confirmed cases and 2,462 deaths from the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak as of February 23, 2020, 07:15 GMT.
For a detailed view see: cases by country and territory.
Graphs on this page:
- Total Cases
- Daily New Cases
- Growth Factor of Daily New Cases
- Total Cases outside of China
- New Cases outside of China
- Growth Factor of New Cases outside of China
- Active Cases
- Case distribution:
- Recovered and Discharged
- Newly Infected vs. Newly Recovered
- Serious and Critical Cases
- Outcome of Cases (Recovery or Death)
- New Cases in China outside Hubei
| Currently Infected |
53,057
|
| Mild Condition |
41,504
(78%) |
| Serious or Critical |
11,553
(22%) |
| Cases with Outcome |
25,720
|
| Recovered/Discharged |
23,258
(90%) |
| Deaths |
2,462
(10%) |
The charts below show daily and total case trends. Data is added, and charts updated, after the close of the day (GMT+0).
Total Cases (worldwide)
See also: Data Table by Country
"Total Cases" = total cumulative count (78,777). This figure therefore includes deaths and recovered or discharged patients (cases with an outcome).
Daily Cases (worldwide)
The spike observed on Feb. 12 is the result, for the most part, of a change in diagnosis classification for which 13,332 clinically (rather than laboratory) confirmed cases were all reported as new cases on Feb. 12, even though they were diagnosed in the preceding days and weeks. We will distribute these cases over the correct period once the analysis being conducted by the WHO with China's NHC is completed. See also: How to interpret the 15,152 (+600%) surge in new cases of February 12
Source: Worldometer - www.worldometers.info 
Growth Factor of Daily New Cases
Growth factor is the factor by which a quantity multiplies itself over time. The formula used is every day's new cases / new cases on the previous day. For example, a quantity growing by 7% every period (in this case daily) has a growth factor of 1.07.
A growth factor above 1 indicates an increase, whereas one which remains between 0 and 1 it is a sign of decline, with the quantity eventually becoming zero, whereas a growth factor constantly above 1 could signal exponential growth
Total Cases excluding mainland China
Source: Worldometer - www.worldometers.info
Daily Cases excluding mainland China
Growth Factor excluding mainland China
Source: Worldometer - www.worldometers.info
Active Cases
By removing deaths and recoveries from total cases, we get "currently infected cases" or "active cases" (cases still awaiting for an outcome).
Source: Worldometer - www.worldometers.info
Cases
Source: Worldometer - www.worldometers.info
Outside of China
See also:
Source: Worldometer - www.worldometers.info
Recovered and Discharged
Cured: 20,895
Source: Worldometer - www.worldometers.info
Newly Infected vs. Newly Recovered
New Cases:
(idea by Rudi Roth)
Source: Worldometer - www.worldometers.info
Serious and Critical Cases
Source: Worldometer - www.worldometers.info
Outcome of Cases (Recovery or Death)
Source: Worldometer - www.worldometers.info
New Cases in China outside Hubei
Source: Worldometer - www.worldometers.info
Reference:
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/coronavirus-cases/
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/coronavirus-cases/
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html
https://www.unilab.com.ph/articles/coronavirus-overview-symptoms-prevention/
https://www.unilab.com.ph/articles/coronavirus-overview-symptoms-prevention/
