Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a potentially severe acute respiratory infection caused by severe
acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus was identified as the cause of an
outbreak of pneumonia of unknown cause in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, in December 2019.[1] The
clinical presentation is that of a respiratory infection with a symptom severity ranging from a mild common
cold-like illness, to a severe viral pneumonia leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome that is potentially
fatal.
The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses has confirmed SARS-CoV-2 as the name of the
virus owing to the virus’s genetic similarity to the SARS-CoV virus, but taking into account that there may
be differences in disease spectrum and transmission.[2] The World Health Organization has confirmed
COVID-19 (a shortened version of coronavirus disease 2019) as the name of the disease that SARS-CoV-2
infection causes.[3] Prior to this, the virus and/or disease was known by various names including novel
coronavirus (2019-nCoV), 2019-nCoV, or variations on this.