– Hello to our members, patients, and community. The 2019 novel coronavirus, which causes a disease known as COVID-19, is a new virus that causes respiratory illness in people and can spread from person to person. People infected with COVID-19 usually exhibit symptoms similar to that of a cold, or the flu, such as a fever, cough, or shortness of breath. The novel coronavirus can also attach to the lungs, which can cause symptoms of a respiratory tract illness like pneumonia, including shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing..