Guidance

COVID-19: background information

Information on COVID-19 including epidemiology, virology and clinical features.

• From: UK Health Security Agency
• Published: 16 January 2020
• Last updated: 17 May 2022 — See all updates

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COVID-19: epidemiology, virology and clinical features

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On 31 December 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) was informed of a cluster of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. A novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was subsequently identified from patient samples.

This page contains information for professionals and the public on the epidemiology, virology and clinical features of COVID-19, the infection caused by SARS-CoV-2.

There may be further information specific to each country in the UK, as this guidance was written by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) primarily for an English health professional audience. To see if country-specific information is available, please refer to Health Protection Scotland, Public Health Wales, or Public Health Agency in Northern Ireland.

Published 16 January 2020
Last updated 17 May 2022 + show all updates

1. 17 May 2022

   Updated epidemiology, virology, transmission and clinical features sections. Added section on vaccination.

2. 6 October 2021

   Update to guidance in line with latest data and available evidence.

3. 18 February 2021

   Updated global case numbers.

4. 10 February 2021

   Updated global case numbers.

5. 22 January 2021

   Updated global case numbers.

6. 13 January 2021

   Updated global case numbers.

7. 18 December 2020

   Updated global case numbers.

8. 11 December 2020

   Updated global case numbers.

9. 9 December 2020

   Updated global case numbers.

10. 30 November 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

11. 24 November 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

12. 20 November 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

13. 18 November 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

14. 13 November 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

15. 11 November 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

16. 9 November 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

17. 4 November 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

18. 2 November 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

19. 30 October 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

20. 28 October 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

21. 26 October 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

22. 23 October 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

23. 21 October 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

24. 19 October 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

25. 16 October 2020

    Updated with latest global case numbers.

26. 14 October 2020

    Updated global case numbers and clinical features (section 4) regarding long term health effects.

27. 12 October 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

28. 9 October 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

29. 7 October 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

30. 5 October 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

31. 2 October 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

32. 30 September 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

33. 28 September 2020

    Updated global case numbers and added information on the possibility of airborne transmission.

34. 25 September 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

35. 23 September 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

36. 21 September 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

37. 18 September 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

38. 16 September 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

39. 14 September 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

40. 11 September 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

41. 9 September 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

42. 7 September 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

43. 4 September 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

44. 2 September 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

45. 28 August 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

46. 26 August 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

47. 24 August 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

48. 21 August 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

49. 19 August 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

50. 17 August 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

51. 14 August 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

52. 12 August 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

53. 10 August 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

54. 7 August 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

55. 5 August 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

56. 3 August 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

57. 31 July 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

58. 29 July 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

59. 27 July 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

60. 24 July 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

61. 22 July 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

62. 20 July 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

63. 17 July 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

64. 15 July 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

65. 13 July 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

66. 10 July 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

67. 8 July 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

68. 6 July 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

69. 3 July 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

70. 1 July 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

71. 29 June 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

72. 24 June 2020

    Updated global case numbers (section 1), virology (section 2), transmission (section 3) and clinical features (section 4).

73. 22 June 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

74. 19 June 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

75. 17 June 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

76. 15 June 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

77. 12 June 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

78. 10 June 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

79. 8 June 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

80. 5 June 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

81. 3 June 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

82. 1 June 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

83. 29 May 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

84. 27 May 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

85. 25 May 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

86. 22 May 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

87. 20 May 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

88. 18 May 2020

    Updated global case numbers, and amended typical symptoms.

89. 15 May 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

90. 13 May 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

91. 11 May 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

92. 8 May 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

93. 6 May 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

94. 4 May 2020

    Updated with latest global case numbers.

95. 1 May 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

96. 29 April 2020

    Updated global case numbers.

97. 27 April 2020

    Updated with latest global case numbers.

98. 24 April 2020

    Updated with latest data.

99. 22 April 2020

    Updated with latest global case numbers.

100. 20 April 2020

     Updated with latest global case numbers.

101. 17 April 2020

     Updated global case numbers.

102. 16 April 2020

     Updated with latest global case numbers.

103. 13 April 2020

     Updated with latest global case numbers.

104. 10 April 2020

     Updated with latest data.

105. 9 April 2020

     Updated with latest data

106. 6 April 2020

     Updated with latest data.

107. 3 April 2020

     Updated with latest data.

108. 1 April 2020

     Updated with latest data.

109. 30 March 2020

     Updated with latest data.

110. 27 March 2020

     Updated with latest global data.

111. 25 March 2020

     Updated with latest data.

112. 23 March 2020

     Updated with latest data.

113. 20 March 2020

     Updated with latest data.

114. 18 March 2020

     Added latest data.

115. 16 March 2020

     Updated with latest data.

116. 15 March 2020

     Updated with latest data.

117. 14 March 2020

     Updated with latest data.

118. 13 March 2020

     Added latest data.

119. 12 March 2020

     Updated with latest data.

120. 11 March 2020

     Updated with latest data.

121. 10 March 2020

     Updated with latest data.

122. 9 March 2020

     Updated with latest data.

123. 8 March 2020

     Updated with latest data.

124. 7 March 2020

     Updated with latest data.

125. 6 March 2020

     Updated with latest data.

126. 5 March 2020

     Updated with latest data.

127. 4 March 2020

     Updated with latest data.

128. 3 March 2020

     Updated with latest data.

129. 2 March 2020

     Updated with latest case numbers.

130. 1 March 2020

     Updated with latest international case numbers.

131. 29 February 2020

     Updated with latest data.

132. 28 February 2020

     Updated with latest data.

133. 27 February 2020

     Updated with latest data.

134. 26 February 2020

     Updated with latest data.

135. 25 February 2020

     Updated with latest data.

136. 24 February 2020

     Updated with latest data.

137. 23 February 2020

     Updated with latest data.

138. 22 February 2020

     Updated with latest data.

139. 21 February 2020

     Updated with latest data.

140. 20 February 2020

     Updated with latest data.

141. 19 February 2020

     Updated with latest data.

142. 18 February 2020

     Updated with latest data.

143. 17 February 2020

     Updated with latest data.

144. 16 February 2020

     Updated with latest data.

145. 15 February 2020

     Updated with latest data.

146. 14 February 2020

     Terminology and latest data updated.

147. 13 February 2020

     Updated with latest data.

148. 12 February 2020

     Updated with latest data.

149. 10 February 2020

     Updated with latest data.

150. 9 February 2020

     Updated with latest data.

151. 8 February 2020

     Updated with latest data.

152. 7 February 2020

     Updated with latest data.

153. 6 February 2020

     Updated with latest data.

154. 5 February 2020

     Updated with latest data.

155. 4 February 2020

     Updated with latest data.

156. 3 February 2020

     Updated with latest data.

157. 2 February 2020

     Updated with latest data.

158. 1 February 2020

     Updated with latest data.

159. 31 January 2020

     Updated epidemiololgy and terminology for novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).

160. 30 January 2020

     Updated with latest data.

161. 29 January 2020

     Updated with latest data.

162. 28 January 2020

     Updated with latest data.

163. 27 January 2020

     Updated with latest data.

164. 26 January 2020

     Updated with latest data.

165. 25 January 2020

     Updated with latest data.

166. 24 January 2020

     Updated with latest data.

167. 23 January 2020

     Updated with latest data.

168. 22 January 2020

     Updated with latest data.

169. 21 January 2020

     Updated with latest data.

170. 16 January 2020

     First published.