COVID-19

What Is COVID-19?

COVID-19 is a respiratory illness caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, which gains entry into human cells primarily through a specific cell surface receptor called ACE2, found throughout the respiratory tract and several other organs.¹

The disease presents an unusually wide range of clinical severity, ranging from entirely asymptomatic infection to severe respiratory failure, and can affect multiple organ systems beyond the lungs alone, including the heart, kidneys, liver, spleen, and brain.¹

Since its emergence, COVID-19 has continued to evolve alongside updated vaccines and treatments, with current vaccination formulations regularly adjusted to target circulating viral variants as the virus continues to change over time.²

SARS-CoV-2 can invade multiple tissues and organs in addition to the lung, including the spleen, liver, heart, kidney, and brain.
National Center for Biotechnology Information

Symptoms

Common COVID-19 symptoms resemble those of the common cold, including fever, cough, and shortness of breath, though the disease’s full range of presentation extends considerably beyond these classic symptoms.¹

Gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and loss of appetite, occur in a meaningful subset of patients, along with the once distinctive symptom of loss of taste.¹

In severe cases, COVID-19 can progress to acute respiratory distress syndrome, stroke, blood clotting complications, and multiorgan failure, reflecting the disease’s potential to affect far more than the respiratory system alone.¹

Causes

COVID-19 spreads primarily through respiratory droplets released when an infected person coughs or sneezes, though transmission through smaller airborne particles remains possible as well, since infectious viral particles have been detected suspended in air for three hours or longer.¹

The virus’s incubation period, the time between exposure and symptom onset, typically ranges from two to fourteen days, and transmission can occur even from people who never develop noticeable symptoms.¹

Severe illness appears to result partly from an excessive, poorly controlled release of inflammatory signaling molecules, sometimes called a cytokine storm, which can cause significant tissue damage and contribute to some of the disease’s most serious complications.¹

Risk Factors

Older adults face meaningfully higher risk of severe COVID-19 illness compared to younger individuals, reflecting how age related changes in immune function influence disease outcomes.¹

People who are immunocompromised, along with those living with significant underlying health conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure, face elevated risk of experiencing severe disease.¹

Because the virus can invade numerous organ systems beyond the lungs, people with preexisting conditions affecting these organs may face compounded risk when the additional stress of infection is layered on top of their baseline health status.¹

Complications

Long COVID, a condition involving persistent symptoms extending well beyond initial infection, remains an area of active research, with current evidence suggesting that antiviral treatment may offer only modest protective benefit against its development, even among higher risk patients.³

Research examining the antiviral medication Paxlovid found only a small protective effect against long COVID onset, with a notably high number of patients needing treatment to prevent even a single case, reflecting the ongoing challenge of preventing this complication.⁴

Severe acute complications, including significant clotting abnormalities and neurological involvement, can occur in a subset of patients, underscoring why COVID-19 continues to warrant careful clinical attention despite widespread population immunity from vaccination and prior infection.¹

Treatment

Antiviral medications reduce the severity and mortality risk associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection, though their specific effectiveness against preventing long COVID remains less clearly established.³

Outpatient treatment guidance continues to evolve based on emerging clinical evidence, with treatment decisions typically guided by individual risk factors, symptom severity, and timing relative to symptom onset.⁵

Access to antiviral treatment has expanded through various patient assistance and insurance coverage programs, reflecting ongoing efforts to ensure treatment remains available to patients who may benefit most, including those covered through Medicare.⁴

Prevention

Vaccination remains a cornerstone of COVID-19 prevention, with current formulations updated regularly to target circulating variants, showing strong protection against severe outcomes including death, even as protection against milder infection tends to decline somewhat over time.²

Because vaccine effectiveness against infection specifically wanes over time following vaccination, staying current with updated vaccine recommendations helps maintain more consistent protection as new variants continue to emerge.²

Basic infection control measures, including attention to ventilation and appropriate precautions during periods of high community transmission, continue to play a meaningful role in reducing transmission risk alongside vaccination.¹

Why Visual Communication Matters for COVID-19

Explaining how a single virus can produce such wildly varying illness, from no symptoms at all to multiorgan failure, requires visuals that clarify both the biological mechanisms involved and the practical steps people can take to protect themselves.

Pharmaceutical companies, public health organizations, and hospital systems rely on clear illustration and animation to explain COVID-19 biology, treatment, and prevention to the public and clinical audiences alike.

• Illustrating how SARS-CoV-2 enters cells through the ACE2 receptor
• Animating transmission mechanisms and the role of respiratory droplets and aerosols
• Explaining the mechanism of action of antiviral treatments and vaccines
• Visualizing multiorgan involvement and severe disease complications
• Supporting public health education on updated vaccination recommendations
• Creating training materials for infectious disease and primary care clinicians

How Biotic Artlab Supports COVID-19 Communication

We work with pharmaceutical companies, public health organizations, and hospital systems to create accurate, current visuals that make COVID-19 biology and prevention easier to understand.

• Custom 3D animations of viral entry and multiorgan disease mechanisms
• Detailed illustrations of transmission pathways and infection control measures
• Mechanism of action animations for antiviral treatments and updated vaccines
• Patient facing materials on symptom recognition and treatment access
• Clinical training content for infectious disease and primary care teams
• Conference presentations and public health communication materials

Frequently Asked Questions

What causes COVID-19?

COVID-19 is caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, which enters human cells through the ACE2 receptor found throughout the respiratory tract and other organs.¹

Can COVID-19 affect organs besides the lungs?

Yes, the virus can invade multiple organs including the heart, kidneys, liver, spleen, and brain, contributing to a wide range of possible symptoms and complications.¹

Does antiviral treatment prevent long COVID?

Research suggests only a small protective effect against long COVID, with a high number of patients needing treatment to prevent even one case.⁴

How effective are updated COVID-19 vaccines?

Updated vaccines offer strong protection against death, with more modest and time limited protection against milder infection.²

Who is at highest risk for severe COVID-19?

Older adults, immunocompromised individuals, and people with underlying conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure face the greatest risk of severe illness.¹

How is COVID-19 transmitted?

The virus spreads mainly through respiratory droplets and, to a lesser extent, smaller airborne particles, with transmission possible even from people without symptoms.¹

Have a Project in Mind? Contact Us.

If you are developing patient education materials, clinical training content, or public health communication related to COVID-19, our team can help translate the science into visuals that are both accurate and easy to understand. Contact us at info@biotic-artlab.com or get in touch through our contact form to discuss your project.

References

1. National Center for Biotechnology Information. SARS-CoV-2 Pathophysiology and Its Clinical Implications.
2. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Effectiveness of the 2024 to 2025 KP.2 COVID-19 Vaccines in the United States During Long Term Follow Up.
3. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Effectiveness of Antiviral Therapy on Long COVID, a Systematic Review and Meta Analysis.
4. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Effect of Paxlovid Treatment During Acute COVID-19 on Long COVID Onset.
5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. COVID-19 Treatment Clinical Care for Outpatients.

Disclaimer: This page provides general educational information and is not a substitute for diagnosis, treatment, emergency care, or individualized advice from a qualified healthcare professional.