COVID-19

American  

[koh-vid-nahyn-teen] / ˈkoʊ vɪd naɪnˌtin /

Also Covid-19;

noun

Pathology.

1. coronavirus disease 2019: a potentially severe, primarily respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus and characterized by fever, coughing, and shortness of breath. In some people, the disease also damages major organs, as the heart or kidneys.

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Spelling

COVID-19 (all capital letters) is the spelling used internationally by scientific and medical professionals and their related organizations, which corresponds with the American convention of capitalizing an acronym such as AIDS or SARS. However, Covid-19 (spelled like a proper noun with an initial capital letter followed by lowercase letters) is the less obtrusive form used by several prominent media, such as The New York Times and The Times of London. And it is not uncommon to see both forms shortened to just COVID or Covid, respectively. The lowercase form covid is considerably less common in edited text.

Usage

What is COVID-19?  COVID-19 is a highly infectious respiratory disease caused by a new coronavirus. The disease was discovered in China in December 2019 and then spread around the world, causing an unprecedented public health crisis. For health, safety, and medical emergencies or updates on the novel coronavirus pandemic, please visit the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and WHO (World Health Organization). What are some variants of COVID-19?

• Covid-19
• covid-19
• COVID
• covid

Etymology

Origin of COVID-19

Short for co(rona)vi(rus) d(isease) (20)19, the year in which the outbreak of the disease was first identified; so named by the World Health Organization in 2020

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

COVID-19

They now sit close to a nearly 10-year low if the COVID-19 era is excluded.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

The COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns devastated the Bagdad Cafe — and Pruett, who turned 80 in the summer of 2020.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

During the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers could follow individual variants in remarkable detail because genome sequences were usually linked to precise dates.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026

“CDC is finalizing decisions regarding COVID-19 vaccine procurement through the Vaccines for Children and Section 317 programs, and additional information will be available soon,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

The last time gas was $2 a gallon was during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, when demand for oil was destroyed because many people were staying home to avoid spreading a deadly virus.

From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026