What are coronaviruses?
Coronaviruses are a large group of viruses that can cause illness in animals and humans. Some coronaviruses commonly circulate in the United States and usually cause upper respiratory symptoms such as cough or runny nose, although some can cause more serious illness. The 2019 novel (new) coronavirus causes the illness coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
What is COVID-19?
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a disease that was identified in late 2019 and was declared a pandemic on March 11. COVID-19 is an international, national and North Carolina public health emergency. There are some common sense measures everyone can take to protect themselves and others from the spread of respiratory illnesses like COVID-19.
- Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds at a time.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are ill.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
- Do not reuse tissue after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose.
- Clean and disinfect surfaces that are frequently touched.
How does COVID-19 spread?
Coronaviruses like COVID-19 are most often spread through the air by coughing or sneezing, through close personal contact (including touching and shaking hands) or through touching your nose, mouth or eyes before washing your hands. This is a new disease and we are still learning about how it spreads and the severity of illness it causes.
Learn more from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about how COVID-19 spreads and how to protect yourself and your community from getting and spreading respiratory illnesses.
Exposure and Symptoms
Symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, and new loss of taste or smell. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure.
The CDC recommends you stay home and separate yourself from other people in the home as much as possible if:
- You are sick with COVID-19
- You believe you might have it
- You think you might have COVID-19 and have mild symptoms
Before going to a health care provider, clinic, hospital or emergency room, call ahead to describe your symptoms and how you might have been exposed to the virus. In the event of an emergency, call 9-1-1.
No one group, ethnicity, or population in the US is more likely to get or spread coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) than others. While some people may be worried or have concerns about COVID-19, it is important to not let fear lead to social stigma toward others.