COVID-19: Global disease facts and transmission details
COVID-19 is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS‑CoV‑2. The infection spread worldwide from January 2020, resulting in a pandemic. Typical symptoms include fever, fatigue, cough, breathing difficulties, loss of smell and taste; about 81 % of patients develop mild to moderate illness, 14 % severe disease and 5 % critical conditions, with older people at higher risk. Some individuals experience long‑term effects (long COVID) after recovery.
The virus transmits mainly through respiratory droplets and aerosols when people are in close proximity, but can also spread via contaminated surfaces. Infected persons may remain contagious for up to 20 days, even without symptoms. Diagnostic testing relies on nucleic‑acid methods such as real‑time RT‑PCR, transcription‑mediated amplification and RT‑LAMP. Multiple vaccines have received approval and are being administered in mass vaccination campaigns. Preventive measures include physical distancing, quarantine, indoor ventilation, mask use and hand hygiene.
Entities: COVID-19 · SARS‑CoV‑2
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 4 SOURCES] The disease spread worldwide from January 2020, leading to a pandemic. (All articles)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Among patients, about 81 % develop mild to moderate illness, 14 % severe, and 5 % critical. (All articles)
- [● 4 SOURCES] COVID-19 is caused by the coronavirus SARS‑CoV‑2. (All articles)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Common symptoms include fever, fatigue, cough, breathing difficulties, loss of smell, and loss of taste. (All articles)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Older people have a higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 symptoms. (All articles)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Infected persons may remain contagious for up to 20 days, even without symptoms. (All articles)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Multiple COVID-19 vaccines have been approved and are being used in mass vaccination campaigns. (All articles)
- [● 4 SOURCES] COVID-19 transmits via respiratory droplets, aerosols, and contact with contaminated surfaces. (All articles)