Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a new virus. The disease causes respiratory illness (like the flu) with symptoms such as a cough, fever, and in more severe cases, difficulty breathing. You can protect yourself by washing your hands frequently, avoiding touching your face, and avoiding close contact (2 meters or 6 feet) with people who are unwell.

Reported illnesses have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death for confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases.
The following symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure.
Most Common Symptoms

1. Fever
2. Cough
3. Shortness of breath

Less Common Symptoms

1. Pink eye
2. Loss of taste or smell
3. Loss of appetite
4. Abdominal pain
5. Diarrhea
6. Fatigue


UnCommon Symptoms

1. Nausea/vomiting
2. Runny nose (in children only)
3. Headache
4. Productive cough
5. Tingling in throat


If you develop emergency warning signs for COVID-19 get medical attention immediately.

1. Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
2. Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
3. Newly onset confusion
4. Bluish lips or face

Some people may be at higher risk of getting very sick from this illness. This includes individuals with serious underlying medical conditions like hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, or lung disease.
People who are more at high risk from severe illness include older adults, HIV patients, pregnant women, asthma patients and confirmed COVID-19 patients.

CLEAN YOUR HANDS OFTEN
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
AVOID CLOSE CONTACT
Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Put distance between yourself and other people if COVID-19 is spreading in your community. This is especially important for people who are at higher risk of getting very sick.

In some cases, a vaccine might give stronger protection than antibodies produced after being infected, epidemiologist Dr. Larry Brilliant said. “There are actually six other coronavirus – MERS and SARS and four other viruses that create the common cold. They don’t seem to do very well at creating long-term immunity,” Brilliant said. “But we need to find out whether we can create a vaccine that creates more immunity [to the novel coronavirus] than the disease does. And that’s not so wild. Many of the vaccines that we’ve made in history are actually stronger than the virus is itself at creating immunity.”

“With this respiratory virus, (as) with other coronaviruses, no,” said Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, technical lead for the World Health Organization’s Covid-19 response.
“All of us are susceptible to this virus,” she said. “It’s a new virus, which means we haven’t had a chance to build immunity.”

Some cases of coronavirus do lead to pneumonia. But the pneumonia vaccine won’t help. “Vaccines against pneumonia, such as pneumococcal vaccine and Haemophilus influenza type B (Hib) vaccine, only help protect people from these specific bacterial infections,” according to Harvard Medical School. “They do not protect against any coronavirus pneumonia.” The flu shot does not protect against coronavirus. But it does help protect against a massive, unnecessary burden on hospitals already overwhelmed with coronavirus. The CDC estimates about 140,000 to 810,000 people are hospitalized with the flu every year in the US. And about half of Americans don’t get vaccinated – including most children who die from the flu.

Ideally, you should limit your children’s potential exposures to coronavirus and work out the safest plan possible with your ex. The problem: Most state and county family courts are closed, or open only for emergencies involving abuse or endangerment. So if parents wanted to formally modify pre-existing custody agreements, they can’t. But some states may be offering some flexibility during the pandemic. And there may be creative solutions, such as spending more time with one parent now in exchange for extra time with the other parent after the pandemic ends.

You can’t, said Dr. James Phillips, chief of disaster and operational medicine at George Washington University Hospital.
“We’re so far behind on testing, there’s only one way we can be certain not to transmit the virus and be certain not to get it ourselves: We need to start treating every person as though they have this, ” Phillips said.
“And everyone needs to treat us like we have it, and socially distance ourselves in that manner. Because until we have (enough) testing, we don’t know who has this. And we’re not sure when they start spreading it.”
That’s why it’s so critical to avoid crowds, stay at least 6 feet away from others, wash or disinfect your hands, and stop touching your face.

There’s no evidence that coronavirus can be transmitted through food, the CDC says.
Even if coronavirus does get into your food, your stomach acid would kill it, said Dr. Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at Columbia University.
“When you eat any kind of food, whether it be hot or cold, that food is going to go straight down into your stomach, where there’s a high acidity, low-pH environment that will inactivate the virus,” she said.
But it’s a good idea to disinfect the takeout containers, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta said. Coronavirus is a respiratory virus, and it’s easy to touch your face without realizing it.
If you don’t have disinfecting wipes, use your own plates or bowls to serve the food. Just make sure to wash your hands after transferring food from the containers.