infectious diseases
COVID 19
Introduction
COVID-19 is a respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Infection may be asymptomatic or have symptoms ranging from mild upper respiratory symptoms to acute respiratory failure and death. COVID-19 can involve multiple organ systems (eg, cardiac, renal, neurologic, coagulation). Prevention is by vaccination and infection control precautions (eg, face masks, handwashing, social distancing, isolation of infected individuals). Diagnosis is by antigen or PCR (polymerase chain reaction) testing of upper or lower respiratory secretions. Treatment is with supportive care, antiviral drugs, or corticosteroids. COVID-19 was first reported in late 2019 in Wuhan, China and declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2020. It is caused by SARS-CoV-2, a coronavirus discovered in 2019. SARS-CoV-2 infection causes a spectrum of severity of disease, from asymptomatic to acute Overview of Respiratory Failure and death. Risk factors for severe disease include older age, immunocompromise, comorbidities (eg, diabetes, chronic kidney disease), and pregnancy. For current information on the number of cases and fatalities, see theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): COVID Data Trackerand theWHO Coronavirus (COVID-19) Dashboard. 