a mild to severe respiratory illness that is caused by a coronavirus (Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 of the genus Betacoronavirus), is transmitted chiefly by contact with infectious material (such as respiratory droplets) or with objects or surfaces contaminated by the causative virus, and is characterized especially by fever, cough, and shortness of breath and may progress to pneumonia and respiratory failure

Note: While fever, cough, and shortness of breath are common symptoms of COVID-19, other symptoms may include fatigue, chills, body aches, headache, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, runny nose, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. COVID-19 was first identified in Wuhan, China in December 2019.

An infectious and deadly coronavirus that has killed thousands in China has spread to at least 44 countries, stirring fears that COVID-19 may soon become a pandemic.