Since first emerging in 2019, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has spread across the world to threaten adults of all ages, with older people particularly at risk. Data from China, where the disease first spread, shows that older people and people with chronic medical conditions may be at higher risk of severe illness from it. The potential danger, along with the fear of its spread in U.S. communities, has left many older Americans and others both nervous and looking for answers.