COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by which virus?

The disease COVID-19 is specifically caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is a novel coronavirus. This particular virus was identified in late 2019 and has been the focus of global health efforts due to its rapid spread and significant impact on public health. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases like SARS and MERS.

Understanding COVID-19 in the context of its causative agent highlights the importance of recognizing specific pathogens and their associated illnesses. The other options represent different viruses with distinct characteristics and disease profiles. H1N1 refers to a type of influenza virus, Ebola is caused by the Ebola virus, and Influenza itself consists of various strains that can lead to seasonal flu. However, none of these are responsible for COVID-19, which is uniquely tied to SARS-CoV-2.