The virus that causes COVID-19, with a variable clinical course. Explore its illustrative 3D model, human context, and sources.
SARS-CoV-2 causes COVID-19. Illness can range from mild to severe. Symptoms may change with variants and can differ depending on vaccination status. This profile summarizes possible symptoms rather than predicting an individual's illness.
Severe illness is possible. A catalogue tag is not a personal risk estimate; symptoms cannot reliably distinguish COVID-19 from influenza.
Original illustrative whole-particle model based on cryo-electron tomography. It shows spike projections on a lipid envelope and an internal RNA-nucleocapsid complex without claiming an exact outline, molecular coordinates or protein count. Virion morphology and preparation can vary. Independent scientific review remains pending.
Source check: 2026-09-19. Educational content; independent scientific review remains pending.