the virus usually moves from one person to another with small drops made when coughing or sneezing. it mostly spreads when people are close to each other, which is why social distancing is encouraged. coronavirus can also spread when people touch a surface with the virus, and then they touch their face. common symptoms include fever, cough, and trouble breathing. the illness can worsen with pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome. as of january 2021, a number of vaccines for covid-19 have been developed, but only a few have been approved as safe for use. the first vaccine to be approved was created by pfizer and biontech, followed by the oxford / astrazeneca vaccine. vaccine distribution has begun in many countries in europe, north america, south america and asia. the united kingdom was the first western country to administer a covid-19 vaccine. no antiviral medicine for covid-19 is available. doctors usually give patients supportive therapy instead. people can avoid spreading the virus by regularly washing their hands, covering their mouth when coughing, maintaining distance from other people, staying away from crowds, wearing medical or cloth face coverings, and being alone for people who think they are infected, also known as quarantining.