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SARS-CoV-2

Adapted from Wikipedia · Explorer experience

A colorful scientific model showing the building blocks of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, including its spike proteins.

What is SARS-CoV-2?

SARS-CoV-2 is a tiny germ that makes people sick. It causes something called COVID-19. This germ started in a city called Wuhan in China. It was first found in late 2019.

Where Did It Come From?

Scientists think this germ came from animals, maybe bats. It might have passed through another animal before it touched people. We still learn more about where it began.

How Do We Know About It?

The World Health Organization helped everyone understand this germ. They told people how to stay safe. This germ is part of a group called coronaviruses. Another coronavirus, called SARS-CoV-1, made people sick in 2002–2004 too.

Keeping Safe

Learning about SARS-CoV-2 helps us stay safe. We can wash our hands, stay away from sick friends, and get special medicines called vaccines. These help our bodies fight the germ if we get touched by it.

Images

A scientific image showing the SARS-CoV-2 virus particles magnified under a microscope.
Diagram showing how viruses can travel from animals to humans
A preserved specimen of Rhinolophus sinicus, a species of bat, displayed at the Naturalis Biodiversity Center.
A magnified image of the SARS-CoV-2 virus particles, showing their unique spiky structure, captured by scientists for research purposes.
A close-up science image showing the spike proteins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which help it infect cells. This type of image is used to study how viruses work.
A colorful scientific diagram showing the structure of a protein from the SARS-CoV-2 virus, used to help scientists study how the virus works.
A scientific image showing the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, as seen through a scanning electron microscope.

Related articles

World Health Organization

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on SARS-CoV-2, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Images from Wikimedia Commons. Tap any image to view credits and license.