COVID-19 is a disease caused by a newly identified coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. It has been diagnosed in multiple locations worldwide and has received widespread attention from public health authorities and the news media. We are closely monitoring and following guidance from the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and are in close contact with state and local health authorities.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, human coronaviruses are common throughout the world and usually cause mild to moderate illness in people. This new virus is a public health concern because:
It is newly identified, so much is still unknown about it.
Two other human coronaviruses, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV, have caused severe illness