This is a group of viruses that infect your respiratory tract. Most people will be infected with a coronovirus at least once in their life. Usually, symptoms are mild or moderate, and may seem like those of a common cold. But some coronaviruses can be very dangerous. How do you get infected? These viruses spread from person to person. When an infected person sneezes or coughs, the virus spreads through the air. It lands on surfaces you touch. It can be passed to you during close contact, like with a handshake. Coronaviruses enter your body through your eyes, nose or mouth. In rare cases, they can spread through an infected person's poop. Symptoms include a runny nose, a cough and a sore throat. You may have a headache and fever. And, you may have a general feeling of being unwell. Infections are more serious for some people. This includes infants, older people, and those with a weakened immune system or cardiopulmonary disease. These people may get pneumonia or bronchitis. It's important to note that some coronaviruses are very dangerous. MERS is one. SARS is another. Outbreaks of these viruses have caused severe symptoms and many deaths. We treat a coronavirus infection just like we treat a common cold. Most people recover on their own at home. But if your symptoms are severe, see your doctor.
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