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SARS-CoV-2 pandemic overview
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2026-10-14 20:56 UTC → 2026-10-15 06:01 UTC ·
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COVID-19 is a contagious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that initiated a global pandemic in January 2020. Symptoms, which typically appear within one to fourteen days of exposure, include fever, fatigue, cough, breathing difficulties, and loss of taste or smell. While approximately one-third of infected individuals do not exhibit noticeable symptoms, those who do may experience a range of severity. Data indicates that 81% of symptomatic patients experience mild to moderate symptoms, 14% develop severe symptoms, such as hypoxia, and 5% face critical conditions such as respiratory failure failure, shock, or organ dysfunction. Older populations are at a higher risk for severe illness. Later information notes that some patients experience long-term effects known as ‘long COVID’, which can persist for months or years. Transmission occurs through respiratory particles or contact with contaminated surfaces and mucous membranes. Risk is elevated in close proximity or indoors where airborne particles can remain suspended. Individuals may remain contagious for up to 20 days, even without showing symptoms. Testing for the virus is typically conducted using methods such as RT-PCR and RT-LAMP via nasopharyngeal swabs.
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