According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Disease Control Control and Prevention (CDC), Chinese authorities determined the new coronavirus, which provides resulted in confirmed human
infections across the globe, including in the United States. This worldwide
distribution of the virus led the World Health Corporation (WHO) to designate
COVID-19 as a pandemic on March 11, 2020. On SARS-CoV-2 March 13, 2020, the President of the United States declared COVID-19 the
COVID-19 pandemic a national emergency. The latest situation summary updates are
available on the CDC's coronavirus webpage. Currently, there is an effort to
better understand disease transmissibility, infectivity, and severity associated
with this pandemic. Based on the CDC: Spread from person-to-person most likely
occurs during close (within 6 feet) contact with an infected person.
Person-to-person spread is thought to occur mainly via droplets of respiratory
secretions produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes, similar to how
influenza and various other respiratory diseases spread. These droplets are
believed to enter the mouths and noses of people nearby, and will be inhaled
into the nose and lungs. There is also growing evidence of transmitting risk
from infected persons without symptoms or before the onset of recognized
symptoms. COVID-19 can also be transmitted by touching surfaces or objects
contaminated with SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes the disease), then touching CDC's
coronavirus their mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes.