How does coronavirus spread?

The coronaviruscoronavirus co·​ro·​na·​vi·​rus : any of a family (Coronaviridae) of single-stranded RNA viruses that have a lipid envelope studded with club-shaped projections, infect birds and many mammals including humans, and include the causative agents of MERS, SARS, and COVID-19 is thought to spread mainly from person to person. This can happen between people who are in close contact with one another. Droplets that are produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes may land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby, or possibly be inhaled into their lungs. Coronavirus can also spread from contact with infected surfaces or objects. For example, a person can get COVID-19COVID-19 \ ˈkō-vid-nīn-ˈtēn : a mild to severe respiratory illness that is caused by a coronavirus (Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 of the genus Betacoronavirus), is transmitted chiefly by contact with infectious material (such as respiratory droplets), and is characterized especially by fever, cough, and shortness of breath and may progress to pneumonia and respiratory failure.   by touching a surface or object that has the virusvirus vi·​rus | \ ˈvī-rəs : a disease-causing agent that is too tiny to be seen by the ordinary microscope, that may be a living organism or may be a very special kind of protein molecule, and that can only multiply when inside the cell of an organism   on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes.

People are thought to be most contagious when they are most symptomaticsymptomatic symp·​tom·​at·​ic | \ ˌsim(p)-tə-ˈma-tik : being a symptom of a disease : having the characteristics of a particular disease but arising from another cause symptomatic epilepsy resulting from brain damage  . However, there have been reports of coronavirus spreading before people show symptoms. Preliminary research of individuals who developed mild disease also suggests that they could be contagious early in the course of their illness, even before they have experienced symptoms or are only experiencing mild symptoms.