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 biotech company, already a household name for its mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, is now betting that the same mRNA technology can revolutionize the way melanoma and potentially other cancers are treated.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026

Most individuals who experience taste changes during COVID-19 regain their normal sense of taste within weeks or months.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026

Digital waitlists predated COVID-19, of course, but for me, that was when the phone began to feel less like an option and more like a condition of dining out.

From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026

I urge all who are eligible to come forward for their flu jab, their COVID-19 booster and their RSV vaccine.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

Yet, Linderman, who spent her late teenage years navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, said “mentors now are more important than ever.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

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