While many scientists believed influenza would cause the next great pandemic, few were prepared for the new strain of coronavirus that appeared in late 2019.

Within months, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, infiltrated every country. What quickly became the next global health pandemic pushed health-care systems to their limits. Protective gear, life-saving equipment, and tests became scarce and in high demand. People’s lives were upended as governments sent citizens into lockdowns and enforced measures to prevent the spread of the virus. Case numbers and death tolls rose.

But health-care workers fought back against the virus. Months of research led to the development of treatments for COVID-19 and vaccines to prevent it. And many people followed mask-wearing and social distancing guidelines to protect each other from infection.

Understanding Coronaviruses covers the latest developments on these fronts, delving into the science of the pandemic along with its effects on people’s everyday lives. This book explains how SARS-CoV-2 became such a deadly force, how different governments responded to the spread, and how students, teachers, health-care workers, and others coped with the rapidly evolving crisis. Read on to learn how SARS-CoV-2 compares to previous pandemics and epidemics, what people did to limit its spread, and how this historic pandemic has changed many people’s lives forever.