In late 2019, the WHO assigned emergency ICD-10 disease codes U07.

1 for deaths from lab-

confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and U07.2 for deaths from clinically or epidemiologically
diagnosed COVID-19 without lab-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. [111]

Pathology

The main pathological findings at autopsy are:[69]

 Macroscopy: pericarditis, lung consolidation and pulmonary oedema

 Lung findings:
o minor serous exudation, minor fibrin exudation
o pulmonary oedema, pneumocyte hyperplasia, large atypical pneumocytes,
interstitial inflammation with lymphocytic infiltration and multinucleated giant
cell formation
o diffuse alveolar damage (DAD) with diffuse alveolar exudates. DAD is the cause
of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and severe hypoxemia.
o organisation of exudates in alveolar cavities and pulmonary interstitial fibrosis
o plasmocytosis in BAL[112]
 Blood: disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC);[113] leukoerythroblastic reaction[114]
 Liver: microvesicular steatosis

Prevention
Infographic by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), describing how to
stop the spread of germs
Further information: COVID-19 vaccine, Workplace hazard controls for COVID-19, Pandemic
prevention, preparations prior to COVID-19, COVID-19 surveillance, and COVID-19 apps
Without pandemic containment measures—such as social distancing, vaccination, and use of
face masks—pathogens can spread exponentially.[115] This graphic shows how early adoption of
containment measures tends to protect wider swaths of the population.

Preventive measures to reduce the chances of infection include staying at home, wearing a mask
in public, avoiding crowded places, keeping distance from others, ventilating indoor spaces,
washing hands with soap and water often and for at least 20 seconds, practising good respiratory
hygiene, and avoiding touching the eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.[116][117][118][119][120]
Those diagnosed with COVID-19 or who believe they may be infected are advised by the CDC
to stay home except to get medical care, call ahead before visiting a healthcare provider, wear a
face mask before entering the healthcare provider's office and when in any room or vehicle with
another person, cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, regularly wash hands with soap and
water and avoid sharing personal household items.[121][122]

The first COVID-19 vaccine was granted regulatory approval on 2 December by the UK
medicines regulator MHRA.[123] It was evaluated for emergency use authorization (EUA) status
by the US FDA, and in several other countries.[124] Initially, the US National Institutes of Health
guidelines do not recommend any medication for prevention of COVID-19, before or after
exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, outside the setting of a clinical trial.[125][126] Without a
vaccine, other prophylactic measures, or effective treatments, a key part of managing COVID-19
is trying to decrease and delay the epidemic peak, known as "flattening the curve".[127] This is
done by slowing the infection rate to decrease the risk of health services being overwhelmed,
allowing for better treatment of current cases, and delaying additional cases until effective
treatments or a vaccine become available.[127][128]

Vaccine

Main article: COVID-19 vaccine

A US airman receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.

Map of countries by approval status

  Approved for general use, mass vaccination underway
  EUA granted, mass vaccination underway
  EUA granted, limited vaccination
  Approved for general use, mass vaccination planned
  EUA granted, mass vaccination planned
  EUA pending

A COVID-19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against COVID-19.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, work to develop a vaccine against the coronavirus diseases
SARS and MERS had established knowledge about the structure and function of coronaviruses,
which accelerated development during early 2020 of varied technology platforms for a
COVID-19 vaccine.

By mid-December 2020, 57 vaccine candidates were in clinical research, including 40 in Phase

I–II trials and 17 in Phase II–III trials. In Phase III trials, several COVID-19 vaccines
demonstrated efficacy as high as 95% in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 infections.[129]
National regulatory authorities have approved seven vaccines for public use: two RNA vaccines
(the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and mRNA-1273 from Moderna), three conventional
inactivated vaccines (BBIBP-CorV from Sinopharm, BBV152 from Bharat Biotech and
CoronaVac from Sinovac), and two viral vector vaccines (Gam-COVID-Vac from the Gamaleya
Research Institute and AZD1222 from the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca).

Many countries have implemented phased distribution plans that prioritize those at highest risk
of complications, such as the elderly, and those at high risk of exposure and transmission, such
as healthcare workers.[130] As of 14 January 2021, 32.64 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine had
been administered worldwide based on official reports from national health agencies.[131] Pfizer,
Moderna, and AstraZeneca predicted a manufacturing capacity of 5.3 billion doses in 2021,
which could be used to vaccinate about 3 billion people (as the vaccines require two doses for a
protective effect against COVID-19). By December, more than 10 billion vaccine doses had been
preordered by countries,[132] with about half of the doses purchased by high-income countries
comprising only 14% of the world's population.[133]