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Coronavirus Guide: Home

Disclaimer

It is not the intention of the MCCC libraries to provide specific medical advice, but rather to provide information to better understand the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Please consult with a qualified physician for diagnosis and for answers to personal questions.

About this Guide

About this Guide

This guide was created by the UNLV Health Sciences Library. Our goal was to create a one-stop source for collecting relevant and timely information about the 2019 Coronavirus (SARS-Cov-2) also known as (2019-nCov) and the infectious disease associated with the virus (COVID-2019).

Corona virus grey sphere with red and orange spikes

(Image Source: CDC)

How to Navigate this Guide

Coronavirus: What's in a Name?

This illustration, created at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reveals ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. Note the spikes that adorn the outer surface of the virus, which impart the look of a corona surrounding the virion, when viewed electron microscopically. A novel coronavirus, named Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China in 2019. The illness caused by this virus has been named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Coronavirus: What's in a name?

The Coronavirus is a novel (or new)  virus that has not been observed or studied in the human population since its emergence in Wuhan, China in December 2019. When the new virus emerged, the CDC used the naming convention of the SARS-CoV-2 or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) - Coronavirus (CoV) with the "-2" to describe it as novel from the previous SARS Coronavirus that was identified in 2003. In addition to this naming convention, the CDC also uses the term "(2019-nCov)" to describe it as a "novel" or new Coronavirus that was discovered in 2019. The technical term of (COVID-19) is now used to describe the infectious disease that is derived from this virus in accordance with best practices by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Social media has also played a role in how the virus is labeled and variations for the disease and the virus can be viewed in the Coronavirus on Twitter section of this guide.

(Image Source: CDC)

Dark blue green button with CDC Information in white text. Blue button with WHO Information in white text.

Multimedia Resources

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 Multimedia Resources

Journal Publishers Resources

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Publishers and Open Access Information

Many publishers now participate in the free exchange of current health information during national disasters or disease outbreaks. The Wellcome Trust is an agreement amongst peer-reviewed research publications to provide rapid and open access to information across the globe. You can learn more here: https://wellcome.ac.uk/press-release/sharing-research-data-and-findings-relevant-novel-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak

Journal Publisher Resources

Global Resources

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World Health Organization (WHO)

National Health Service UK

Guidance for Health Providers

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Resources for Health Professionals

Resources for Special Populations

Infection Control & Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Hospital Resources

Additional Federal Resources