What are coronaviruses?

Coronaviruses are tiny bugs that can make us feel sick, just like when you catch a cold or get the flu.

Imagine your body is like a castle, and viruses are like sneaky little intruders trying to get inside. Coronaviruses are one type of these intruders, they have spikes on their surface, kind of like the pointy ends of a crown, which is why we call them coronaviruses (from the Latin word for "crown").

When you breathe in or touch something with a coronavirus on it, the virus can jump into your body. It then finds its way to your lungs or nose, where it starts multiplying, like a tiny factory making more copies of itself.

Sometimes, coronaviruses are no big deal and just make you cough or sneeze for a few days. Other times, they can be stronger and cause bigger problems, like the ones we saw with COVID-19, which is caused by a coronavirus too!

So next time you feel a tickle in your throat, remember: it could be a tiny virus on a mission!