COVID-19

A respiratory infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Most people have mild to moderate illness; older adults and people with chronic conditions or weakened immunity are at higher risk of severe disease.

How it spreads

Spreads mainly through respiratory droplets and aerosols released when an infected person breathes, talks or coughs — especially in poorly ventilated indoor spaces — and less often via contaminated surfaces.

Common symptoms

Common: fever, cough, fatigue, sore throat, loss or change of taste or smell; some have headache, muscle aches or diarrhoea.

When to seek care

Difficulty breathing, chest pain or pressure, confusion, bluish lips or face, inability to stay awake — seek urgent care. Kidney, transplant and dialysis patients should contact their care team early if feverish.

Prevention & treatment

Vaccination as recommended in your country (especially for high-risk groups), staying home when ill, ventilation, masks in crowded settings, hand hygiene. Antivirals are for people at high risk and require clinical assessment (some need dose adjustment for kidney function).

Unknowns & ongoing research

Mechanisms and best treatment for post COVID-19 condition (long COVID) are still under study; the effect of new variants on vaccine protection needs ongoing monitoring.

Related WHO notices

WHO Disease Outbreak News · Last successful update on this site: 2026-11-12 01:10 UTC

No WHO notices retrieved yet (the scheduled update has not run or the source is temporarily unreachable).

Official sources & interactive data