Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy
About COVID-19
COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 that started a pandemic in 2020 and is still a major global public health threat. SARS-CoV-2 is a coronavirus. Viruses in this family cause SARS, which emerged in 2002, and MERS, which first appeared in 2012. Coronaviruses get their name from their crown-like appearance—”corona” in Latin refers to a crown or garland.
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