COVID-19 FAQ

Q. What is COVID-19? 
A. COVID-19 is the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. 

Q. What is SARS-CoV-2? 
A. The virus has been named "Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2" or "SARS-CoV-2" and was identified in late 2019. It is a type of enveloped human coronavirus. 

Q. What is the source of SARS-CoV-2? 
A. This virus likely originated in bats prior to transmission to humans via direct contact with bats or via contact with animals infected by bats in Asia. 

Q. Is the virus food-borne? 
A. At this time, the virus is believed to be transmitted only via person to person contact by touch or by inhalation near an infected person or by contact with surfaces which harbor the virus. 

Q. Do all infected people show symptoms? 
A. No. Some people show symptoms, and some show no symptoms (asymptomatic). Those who show no symptoms are particularly a concern in that they can spread the virus without knowing. The incubation period is typically several days or longer. 

Q. Do we expect the virus to die off with warm weather? 
A. Nobody knows at this point. The CDC is hopeful that the virus will run the traditional cycle of dying off in warm weather, but the concern remains that it may re-emerge with the next cool season. 

Q. How can we stop the spread of COVID-19? 
A. Follow guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html. 

Q. Can the virus survive on surfaces? 
A. At this time, virologists believe that a good estimate is that the virus can survive on plastic surfaces for one day and hard non-porous surfaces such as metal for three days.