How do I get post ID as a variable when using the_post?

Hi, this may seem like a noob question but, I can’t figure out how to get a post ID into a PHP variable!!

I tried using the_ID(); but that just echoed the ID. Trying $post->id but not working!

Here is my code

<?php if(get_post_meta($post->id, 'cover-image')){ ?>
	<div class="news_image">
		<img src="<?php get_post_meta($post->id, 'cover-image'); ?>">
	</div>
<?php } >

How should I proceed?