Coronavirus (COVID-19)

While coronavirus and COVID-19 are related, they mean different things. Coronavirus represents a family of viruses that can cause illness, ranging from the common cold to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). COVID-19 is a disease caused by a specific strain of the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and causes respiratory illness that can be spread from person to person.  

Starting in 2020, COVID-19 spread globally, including to the United States. While COVID-19 is a “new” disease, coronaviruses have been known and studied for many years by academic research centers, including at the Perelman School of Medicine, which is the research center affiliated with Penn Medicine. 

Symptoms of COVID-19 can be very similar to other seasonal respiratory infections like colds and influenza (“the flu”). These often include fever, muscle aches, cough, and difficulty breathing. In addition, you may experience chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, and new loss of taste or smell. According to the CDC, symptoms of COVID-19 can appear anywhere from two to 14 days after you are exposed to the virus.

Many patients have COVID-19 infection with no symptoms at all (asymptomatic infection). Most patients with COVID-19 have only mild flu-like and respiratory symptoms, which can be managed at home. However, some patients may develop severe pneumonia and breathing problems that require hospitalization.

If you have respiratory or flu symptoms, please call your doctor's office ahead of time. Depending on the severity of your symptoms, they may provide special instructions or—if appropriate—connect with you for a virtual visit.

Symptoms of COVID-19 that require immediate emergency medical attention include:

• Difficulty breathing
• Pain or pressure in the chest that is persistent
• Confusion
• Trouble waking up or staying awake
• Pale, gray, or bluish skin, lips, or face

A condition now referred to as long COVID has become prevalent in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. This condition refers to ongoing symptoms or health issues that stem from a COVID-19 infection. These symptoms can last for weeks, months, or even years after the initial COVID-19 infection. Patients with long COVID report a wide range of lingering symptoms relating to respiratory, neurological, cardiac, and psychological issues.

The cause of the COVID-19 infection is the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It’s essential to know how this disease spreads from person to person to understand the worldwide outbreak that occurred during the pandemic and how to contain the disease in the future.

COVID-19 is spread from person to person like other respiratory viruses. You can get the virus from inhaling particles sprayed into the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks, especially if you are within six feet of an infected person. You can also get the virus from touching a surface that an infected person coughed or sneezed on and then transferring the virus to your body by touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.

You may be particularly at risk for getting the virus if you have traveled to an area with widespread transmission or live in an area of the country with a particularly high number of cases.

Other risk factors related to your health status include:

• Age (specifically those aged 65 or older) 
• Underlying medical conditions, like heart disease, lung disease, cancer, immunodeficiencies, and others 
• Pregnancy 
• Not being vaccinated against COVID-19

This is not an exhaustive list of all risk factors for COVID-19. Even young and healthy people can become seriously ill from COVID-19. The best way to protect yourself from COVID-19 is to get the COVID-19 vaccine and continue to get boosted when you are eligible. Contact your primary care doctor if you are concerned about exposure to people with a known COVID-19 infection, or if you have symptoms such as fever and cough or shortness of breath. 

Penn Medicine healthcare providers were at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to offer COVID-19 testing, treatment, and supportive care services to help you navigate the virus. If you’re experiencing coronavirus symptoms, call your primary care doctor’s office to schedule an appointment. Your provider can assess your symptoms, order a COVID test, if necessary, and direct you to the closest testing location.

If you test positive for COVID-19, Penn Medicine has dedicated resources to help you manage your care:

• A dedicated hotline: A dedicated COVID-19 hotline (833-983-1350) is available to answer your questions about patient care related to the virus. 
• Telemedicine for convenient care: Virtual appointments for consultations and follow-up care allow you to receive care from the comfort of your home. 
• Organization-wide safety measures: Protecting patients and staff is our number one priority. We review our safety protocols often and update them in response to increases or decreases in COVID cases in our region. 
• Compassionate COVID-19 support: Over the course of the pandemic and beyond, our healthcare providers and infectious disease specialists have supported Penn Medicine patients throughout their care journey. We educate patients about their COVID-19 treatment and preventative medicine options, and provide recovery support for patients who have been affected by the disease with personalized COVID-19 recovery and rehabilitation therapies.