CORONA VIRUS (COVID-19)

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus.

Most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment.  Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness.

The best way to prevent and slow down transmission is be well informed about the COVID-19 virus, the disease it causes and how it spreads. Protect yourself and others from infection by washing your hands or using an alcohol based rub frequently and not touching your face. 

The COVID-19 virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes, so it’s important that you also practice respiratory etiquette (for example, by coughing into a flexed elbow).

To prevent the spread of COVID-19:

Clean your hands often. Use soap and water, or an alcohol-based hand rub.

Maintain a safe distance from anyone who is coughing or sneezing.

Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth.

Cover your nose and mouth with your bent elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze.

Stay home if you feel unwell.

If you have a fever, a cough, and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention. Call in advance.

Follow the directions of your local health authority.

Symptoms

People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness.

These symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus:

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Chills
• Repeated shaking with chills

• Muscle pain
• Headache
• Sore throat
• New loss of taste or smell

When to Seek Medical Attention

If you have any of these emergency warning signs* for COVID-19 get medical attention immediately:

• Trouble breathing
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• New confusion or inability to arouse
• Bluish lips or face

CONCLUSION-

There are hundreds of coronaviruses, most of which circulate in animals. Only seven of these viruses infect humans and four of them cause symptoms of the common cold. But, three times in the last 20 years, a coronavirus has jumped from animals to humans to cause severe disease.

SARS, a beta coronavirus emerged in 2002 and was controlled mainly by aggressive public health measures. There have been no new cases since 2004. MERS emerged in 2012, still exists in camels, and can infect people who have close contact with them.

COVID-19, a new and sometimes deadly respiratory illness that is believed to have originated in a live animal market in China, has spread rapidly throughout that country and the world.

The new coronavirus was first detected in Wuhan, China in December 2019. Tens of thousands of people were infected in China, with the virus spreading easily from person-to-person in many parts of that country.

The novel coronavirus infections were at first associated with travel from Wuhan, but the virus has now established itself in 177 countries and territories around the world in a rapidly expanding pandemic. Health officials in the United States and around the world are working to contain the spread of the virus through public health measures such as social distancing, contact tracing, testing, quarantines and travel restrictions. Scientists are working to find medications to treat the disease and to develop a vaccine.

The World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus outbreak “a public health emergency of international concern” on January 30. On March 11, 2020 after sustained spread of the disease outside of China, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 epidemic a pandemic. Public health measures like ones implemented in China and now around the world, will hopefully blunt the spread of the virus while treatments and a vaccine are developed to stop it.