• SARS-CoV-2 is highly infectious and commonly spread through person-to-person contact (within six feet), primarily through inhalation of respiratory particles (droplets and aerosols).

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory disease caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus. People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear two to fourteen days after exposure to the virus. Anyone can have mild to severe symptoms. Possible symptoms include:

• Fever or chills,
• Cough,
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing,
• Fatigue,
• Muscle or body aches,
• Headache,
• New loss of taste or smell,
• Sore throat,
• Congestion or runny nose,
• Nausea or vomiting, and/or
• Diarrhea.

SARS-CoV-2 is highly infectious and commonly spread through person-to-person contact (within six feet), primarily through inhalation of respiratory particles (droplets and aerosols). These particles are produced when an infected person exhales, talks, sings, shouts, coughs, or sneezes. Note that the virus that causes COVID-19 can also be spread by people who have no symptoms and individuals who do not know they are infected.

Less commonly, this virus is spread through airborne transmission over longer distances when smaller droplets and particles linger in air, particularly in enclosed spaces with inadequate ventilation. Another less typical way that the virus spreads is when someone touches a contaminated surface, and then touches the nose, mouth, or eyes. Current evidence suggests that SARS-CoV-2 may remain viable for hours to days on a variety of surfaces.