COVID-19 disease in 2020
INTRODUCTION
Coronaviruses are important human and animal pathogens. At the end of 2019, a novel
coronavirus was identified as the cause of a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, a city in the
Hubei Province of China. It rapidly spread, resulting in an epidemic throughout China, followed
by an increasing number of cases in other countries throughout the world. In February 2020, the
World Health Organization designated the disease COVID-19, which stands for coronavirus
disease 2019. The virus that causes COVID-19 is designated severe acute respiratory syndrome
coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2); previously, it was referred to as 2019-nCoV. Understanding of
COVID-19 is evolving. Interim guidance has been issued by the World Health Organization and
by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .Links to these and other related
society guidelines are found elsewhere. (See 'Society guideline links' below.) This topic will
discuss the epidemiology, clinical features, diagnosis, management, and prevention of COVID-19
Coronaviruses are important human and animal pathogens. At the end of 2019, a novel
coronavirus was identified as the cause of a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, a city in the
Hubei Province of China. It rapidly spread, resulting in an epidemic throughout China, followed
by an increasing number of cases in other countries throughout the world. In February 2020, the
World Health Organization designated the disease COVID-19, which stands for coronavirus
disease 2019. The virus that causes COVID-19 is designated severe acute respiratory syndrome
coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2); previously, it was referred to as 2019-nCoV. Understanding of
COVID-19 is evolving. Interim guidance has been issued by the World Health Organization and
by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .Links to these and other related
society guidelines are found elsewhere. (See 'Society guideline links' below.) This topic will
discuss the epidemiology, clinical features, diagnosis, management, and prevention of COVID-19
