Coronavirus Infections

On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Prevention and Risk Factors

Learn More

• Related Issues
• Specifics

See, Play and Learn

• No links available

Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Patient Handouts

Summary

Coronaviruses are common viruses that most people get some time in their life. They are common throughout the world, and they can infect people and animals. Several different coronaviruses can infect people and make them sick. They usually cause mild to moderate upper-respiratory illness. But, some coronaviruses can cause severe illness.

Coronaviruses probably spread through the air by coughing or sneezing, or by close personal contact. If you get infected, symptoms may include

• Runny nose
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Fever

You may be able to reduce your risk of infection by washing your hands often with soap and water, not touching your eyes, nose, or mouth, and avoiding close contact with people who are sick. There is no vaccine to prevent coronavirus infection. There are no specific treatments. You can relieve symptoms with pain and fever medicines and rest.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Start Here

• About Coronavirus (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• MERS and SARS (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Handwashing: Clean Hands Save Lives (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• SARS Patients and Their Close Contacts (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Travelers' Health: MERS in the Arabian Peninsula (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Specifics

• Frequently Asked Questions on Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS‐CoV) (World Health Organization) Also in Spanish
• Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• SARS Basics (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Statistics and Research

• MERS in the U.S. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Coronavirus Infections (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus-encoded ORF8b strongly antagonizes IFN-β promoter activation:...
• Article: Viral and Bacterial Etiology of Acute Febrile Respiratory Syndrome among Patients...
• Article: Quality of life reported by survivors after hospitalization for Middle East...
• Coronavirus Infections -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Also in Spanish
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
• World Health Organization

Patient Handouts

• Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish