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On February 11, 2020, the International Virus Taxonomy Committee, tasked with naming new viruses, gave the new coronavirus (first identified in Wuhan, China) the name coronavirus 2 for severe acute respiratory syndrome, whose shortened version is SARS-CoV-2. As its name indicates, the virus is related to the SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) that caused an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS or SARS) in 2002-2003; however, it is not the same virus.

Public health officials and partners are working hard to identify the original animal source of the virus that causes COVID-19. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, including some that cause disease in people, and others that circulate between animals, such as camels, cats, and bats. Analysis of the gene tree of this virus indicates that it originated from bats, but it is not yet known whether the virus is directly from the bats or was an intermediate host animal. SARS-CoV, another coronavirus that infected people when it arose, came from civets (musk cats), while MERS-CoV (coronavirus of respiratory syndrome in the Middle East), which also arose and infected people, originated in Camels You can find more information about the source and spread of this new coronavirus in the Summary of Situation for COVID-19: Source and spread of the virus.

It appears that the new coronavirus is spreading from person to person. Learn about what is known about the spread of COVID-19.

The virus that causes COVID-19 is spreading from person to person. A person who is sick and showing symptoms of COVID-19 can spread the disease to others. For that reason, the CDC recommends that these patients be isolated in the hospital or at home (specifically how sick they are) until they are better and no longer pose a risk of infection to others. How long a person is sick and shows symptoms (active disease) can vary; consequently, the decision on when to allow isolation can be made on a case-by-case basis and in consultation with physicians, experts in infection prevention and control, and public health services. This decision will involve taking into account the specific characteristics of each situation, including the severity of the disease, its signs and symptoms, and the results of the patient's laboratory tests. The current CDC guidance on when it is okay to allow someone out of isolation is for the decision to be made on a case-by-case basis and includes meeting all of the requirements below: The patient does not have a fever, without the use of fever-reducing medications. The patient no longer shows symptoms, including cough. The patient obtained two negative results in the tests of two consecutive respiratory samples collected with a minimum of 24 hours between each other. Consider that the person who has already emerged from isolation does not pose a risk of infection to others.

Quarantine means separating a person or group of people who have been exposed to a contagious disease, but who have not had the disease (symptoms), from other people who have not been exposed in order to prevent the possible spread of that disease.