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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

COVID-19

The research team also investigated whether disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic might have distorted the results.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 12, 2026

Consider how close the United States may have come to another economic catastrophe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 10, 2026

Luna’s tenure as sheriff will now stretch from the late COVID-19 era through the 2028 Summer Olympics and beyond.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

Cerca Trova Restaurant Group, which operates 61 Outback Steakhouse locations mostly in California, said it has been struggling since the COVID-19 pandemic.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

Some of the change in parenting might be attributed to the biggest disruptor of childhood in many current teens’ lives: COVID-19.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026

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