A novel coronavirus is a new strain that has not been seen before in humans. SARS-Co-V2 is a novel virus, causing the disease COVID-19. Because COVID-19 is a new disease, much is still being learned about how it spreads and the severity of illness it causes.

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Gregory Poland, infectious disease expert and head of Mayo Clinic’s Vaccine Research Group, explains the science behind how the virus makes people sick, and what the virus does to the body. Dr. Poland will also discuss the latest information on clinical trials and vaccine research to fight the disease outbreak.