Let's Talk About It with Jenny White/ America, under a National Emergency

This illness has since spread around the globe, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has characterized it as a pandemic. The disease caused by the virus is called COVID-19.

Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that can cause a range of symptoms including a runny nose, cough, sore throat and fever. Some are mild, such as the common cold, while others are more likely to lead to pneumonia.They're usually spread through direct contact with an infected person.

Key symptoms to watch for include fever, cough and shortness of breath or difficullty breathing. However, the illness can also cause body aches, sore throat, vomiting and diarrhea. Up to 80 percent of those who become infected appear to have mild symptoms and may not even know they're sick. But in severe cases, the illness can cause pneumonia, kidney failure and death according to the World Health Organization.