COVID-19 was first reported in December 2019 and spread rapidly to cause a worldwide pandemic. The disease is caused by a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, which likely emerged from a non-human reservoir in Asia. The clinical spectrum of disease varies from asymptomatic infection through to mild self-limiting respiratory tract infections and in a small proportion of cases a severe viral pneumonitis. Most patients require only supportive care but individuals with a pneumonitis are likely to require hospitalization. A number of vaccines have been shown to be effective in reducing the severity of disease but there remain significant gaps in global vaccination coverage.