ELI5: What is COVID-19 (Coronavirus), how does it work, and how can I protect myself?

Hi everyone,<br>I am a microbiologist and I'm a specialist in viral infections. I'm here on my lunch break to help explain things.<br><br>EDIT: Holy moly this post blew up. I’m back home and will try to respond to as many questions as possible. My phone is dying so I will probably need to wait until I get home tonight to charge it and continue answering questions. Thank you all for your kind words!<br><br>COVID-19 is a disease caused by a virus, which is a very tiny germ. The virus is technically called SARS-CoV-2.<br><br>COVID-19 is like Influenza (the flu) but its symptoms are more serious. The virus that causes COVID-19 is part of a category of viruses called Coronaviruses, hence the name. There are many other types of Coronaviruses.<br>The reason everyone is worried about this virus is because it's very contagious and deadly, kind of like when influenza first started going around 100 years ago and killed so many people. So, the best way to prevent getting a bad case of this illness is the same as how you would prevent other viral illnesses: **good hygiene**!<br><br>**We all need to continue practicing good hygiene now.** Make sure to **wash your hands** A LOT. Do not **touch your face**. It's hard, but try. If you **need** to touch your face, make sure your hands are clean. Try to **stay away** from people who are sick. Make sure your **house** and **car** and **work space** are clean. This is the best way to keep yourself healthy.<br><br>You can also wear a **mask** to help protect yourself. The masks can help prevent you from getting sick, but they don't 100% guarantee that you won't get sick. Nothing can guarantee that except just staying in your house away from everyone (even then you could get sick somehow). A mask is just an added extra layer of protection. <br><br>Stock up on food and water and supplies. If you get sick, you might not want to or be able to leave your house to go buy food. Even if you don't get sick, there might be a "lockdown" in your area where they don't want people leaving their houses.<br><br>**This too shall pass,** but in the meantime, just be smart and keep yourself clean and safe. If you think you might be sick or have been around someone who is sick, just stay at home as much as possible and try not to get too close to other people.<br><br>If you are sick and feel **really bad**, or you know someone who fits **any of these categories** and is sick, make sure they **go to the doctor**: <br>- if they are old<br>- if they have a baby in their tummy<br>- if they are younger than 2 years old<br>- if they have something already wrong with their body called a "chronic condition"<br><br>They might need extra help from a doctor to not get too sick.<br><br>**You all got this!**