Everything
You Should Know About the 2019 Coronavirus and COVID-19
https://www.healthline.com/health/coronavirus-covid-19
What is
the 2019 coronavirus?
In early 2020, a new virus
began generating headlines all over the world because of the unprecedented
speed of its transmission.
Its origins have been traced to
a food market in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. From there, it’s reached
countries as distant as the United States and the Philippines.
The virus (officially named
SARS-CoV-2) has been responsible for millions of infections globally, causing
hundreds of thousands of deaths. The United States is the most affected
country.
The disease caused by an
infection with SARS-CoV-2 is called COVID-19, which stands for coronavirus
disease 2019.
In spite of the global panic in
the news about this virus, you’re unlikely to contract SARS-CoV-2 unless you’ve
been in contact with someone who has a SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Let’s bust some myths.
Read on to learn:
- how this
coronavirus is transmitted
- how it’s similar
to and different from other coronaviruses
- how to prevent
transmitting it to others if you suspect you’ve contracted this virus
What are the symptoms?
Doctors are learning new things
about this virus every day. So far, we know that COVID-19 may not initially
cause any symptoms for some people.
You may carry the virus for 2 days or up to 2 weeks before
you notice symptoms.
Some common symptoms that have been specifically
linked to COVID-19 include:
- shortness
of breath
- having a cough that gets more severe over
time
- a low-grade fever that gradually increases in
temperature
- fatigue
Less common symptoms include:
- chills
- repeated shaking
with chills
- sore throat
- headache
- muscle aches and pains
- loss of taste
- loss of smell
These symptoms may become more
severe in some people. Call emergency medical services if you or someone you
care for have any of the following symptoms:
- trouble
breathing
- blue lips or
face
- persistent pain
or pressure in the chest
- confusion
- excessive
drowsiness
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is still
investigating the full list of symptoms.
COVID-19
versus the flu
We’re still learning about whether
the 2019 coronavirus is more or less deadly than the seasonal flu.
This is difficult to determine
because the number of total cases (including mild cases in people who don’t
seek treatment or get tested) is unknown.
However, early evidence
suggests that this coronavirus causes more deaths than the seasonal flu.
An estimated 0.04 to 0.2 percent of
people who developed the flu during the 2019-2020 flu season in the United
States died as of March 14, 2020.
This is compared to about 6
percent of those with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the United States,
according to the CDC .
Here are some common symptoms
of the flu:
What causes coronaviruses?
Coronaviruses are zoonotic.
This means they first develop in animals before developing in humans.
For the virus to pass from
animals to humans, a person has to come into close contact with an animal that
carries the infection.
Once the virus develops in
people, coronaviruses can be transmitted from person to person through
respiratory droplets. This is a technical name for the wet stuff that moves
through the air when you cough, sneeze, or talk.
The viral material hangs out in
these droplets and can be breathed into the respiratory tract (your windpipe
and lungs), where the virus can then lead to an infection.
The 2019 coronavirus hasn’t
been definitively linked to a specific animal.
Researchers believe that the
virus may have been passed from bats to another animal — either snakes or pangolins —
and then transmitted to humans.
This transmission likely
occurred in the open food market in Wuhan, China.
Who’s at increased risk?
You’re at high risk for
contracting SARS-CoV-2 if you come into contact with someone who’s carrying it,
especially if you’ve been exposed to their saliva or been near them when
they’ve coughed, sneezed, or talked.
Without taking proper preventive
measures, you’re also at high risk if you:
- live with
someone who has contracted the virus
- are providing
home care for someone who has contracted the virus
- have an intimate
partner who has contracted the virus
·
HANDWASHING IS KEY
·
Washing your hands and
disinfecting surfaces can help decrease your risk for contracting this and
other viruses.
Older people and people with certain health conditions have a
higher risk for severe complications if they contract the virus. These health
conditions include:
- lung conditions,
such as COPD and asthma
- certain heart
conditions
- immune system
conditions, such as HIV
- cancer that
requires treatment
- severe obesity
- other health
conditions, if not well-managed, such as diabetes, kidney disease, or
liver disease
Pregnant
women have a higher risk of complications from other viral infections, but it’s
not yet known if this is the case for COVID-19.
The CDC states
that pregnant people seem to have the same risk of contracting the virus as
adults who aren’t pregnant.
Transmitting
the virus from mother to child during pregnancy isn’t likely, but the newborn
is able to contract the virus after birth.
How are
coronaviruses diagnosed?
COVID-19
can be diagnosed similarly to other conditions caused by viral infections:
using a blood, saliva, or tissue sample. However, most tests use a cotton swab
to retrieve a sample from the inside of your nostrils.
The
CDC, some state health departments, and some commercial companies conduct
tests. See your state’s health department website to
find out where testing is offered near you.
On
April 21, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved
the use of the first COVID-19 home testing kit.
Using
the cotton swab provided, people will be able to collect a nasal sample and
mail it to a designated laboratory for testing.
The
emergency-use authorization specifies that the test kit is authorized for use
by people whom healthcare professionals have identified as having suspected
COVID-19.
Talk to
your doctor right away if you think you have COVID-19 or you notice symptoms.
Your
doctor will advise you on whether you should:
- stay home and
monitor your symptoms
- come into the
doctor’s office to be evaluated
- go to the
hospital for more urgent care
What treatments are available?
There’s
currently no treatment specifically approved for COVID-19, and no cure for an
infection, although treatments and vaccines are currently under study.
Instead,
treatment focuses on managing symptoms as the virus runs its course.
Seek
medical help if you think you have COVID-19. Your doctor will recommend
treatment for any symptoms or complications that develop and let you know if
you need to seek emergency treatment.
Other
coronaviruses like SARS and MERS are
also treated by managing symptoms. In some cases, experimental treatments are
tested to see how effective they are.
Examples
of therapies used for these illnesses include:
- antiviral or
retroviral medications
- breathing
support, such as mechanical ventilation
- steroids to
reduce lung swelling
- blood plasma
transfusions
What are the
possible complications from COVID-19?
The
most serious complication of COVID-19 is a type of pneumonia that’s been called
2019 novel coronavirus-infected pneumonia (NCIP).
Results
from a 2020 study of
138 people admitted into hospitals in Wuhan, China, with NCIP, found that 26
percent of those admitted had severe cases and needed to be treated in the
intensive care unit (ICU).
About
4.3 percent of the people who were admitted to the ICU died from this type of pneumonia.
It
should be noted that people who were admitted to the ICU were on average older
and had more underlying health conditions than people who didn’t go to the ICU.
So far,
NCIP is the only complication specifically linked to the 2019 coronavirus. Researchers
have seen the following complications in people who have developed COVID-19:
- acute
respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)
- irregular heart
rate (arrhythmia)
- cardiovascular
shock
- severe muscle
pain (myalgia)
- fatigue
- heart damage or heart
attack
How can you
prevent coronaviruses?
The
best way to prevent the transmission of infection is to avoid or limit contact
with people who are showing symptoms of COVID-19 or any respiratory infection.
The
next best thing you can do is practice good hygiene and physical distancing to
prevent bacteria and viruses from being transmitted.
Prevention tips
- Wash your hands
frequently for at least 20 seconds at a time with warm water and soap. How
long is 20 seconds? About as long as it takes to sing your “ABCs.”
- Don’t touch your
face, eyes, nose, or mouth when your hands are dirty.
- Don’t go out if
you’re feeling sick or have any cold or flu symptoms.
- Stay at
least 6 feet (2 meters) away from people. - Cover your mouth
with a tissue or the inside of your elbow whenever you sneeze or cough.
Throw away any tissues you use right away.
- Clean
any objects you touch a lot. Use disinfectants on objects like phones,
computers, and doorknobs. Use soap and water for objects that you cook or
eat with, like utensils and dishware.
Should you wear
a mask?
If
you’re out in a public setting where it’s difficult to follow physical
distancing guidelines, the CDC recommends
that you wear a cloth face mask that covers your mouth and nose.
When
worn correctly, and by large percentages of the public, these masks can help to
slow the transmission of SARS-CoV-2.
That’s
because they can block the respiratory droplets of people who may be
asymptomatic or people who have the virus but have gone undiagnosed.
Respiratory
droplets get into the air when you:
- exhale
- talk
- cough
- sneeze
You can make your own mask using
basic materials such as:
- a bandana
- a T-shirt
- cotton fabric
The CDC
provides instructions for
making a mask with scissors or with a sewing machine.
Cloth
masks are preferred for the general public since other types of masks should be reserved for
healthcare workers.
It’s
critical to keep the mask clean. Wash it each time you use it. Avoid touching
the front of it with your hands. Also, try to avoid touching your mouth, nose,
and eyes when you remove it.
This
prevents you from possibly transferring the virus from a mask to your hands and
from your hands to your face.
Keep in
mind that wearing a mask isn’t a replacement for other preventive measures,
such as frequent handwashing and practicing physical distancing. All of them
are important.
Certain
people shouldn’t wear face masks, including:
- children under 2
years old
- people who have
trouble breathing
- people who are
unable to remove their own masks
What are the
other types of coronaviruses?
A
coronavirus gets its name from the way it looks under a microscope.
The
word corona means “crown,” and when examined closely, the round virus has a
“crown” of proteins called peplomers jutting out from its center in every
direction. These proteins help the virus identify whether it can infect its
host.
The
condition known as severe acute respiratory
syndrome (SARS) was also linked to a highly infectious
coronavirus back in the early 2000s. The SARS virus has since been contained.
COVID-19 vs. SARS
This
isn’t the first time a coronavirus has made news. The 2003 SARS outbreak was
also caused by a coronavirus.
As with
the 2019 virus, the SARS virus was first found in animals before it was
transmitted to humans.
The
SARS virus is thought to have
come from bats and was transferred to another animal and then to humans.
Once
transmitted to humans, the SARS virus began spreading quickly among people.
What
makes the new coronavirus so newsworthy is that a treatment or cure hasn’t yet
been developed to help prevent its rapid transmission from person to person.
SARS
has been successfully contained.
What’s the
outlook?
First
and foremost, don’t panic. You don’t need to be quarantined unless you suspect
you have contracted the virus or have a confirmed test result.
Following
simple handwashing and physical distancing guidelines are the best ways to help protect yourself from being
exposed to the virus.
The
2019 coronavirus probably seems scary when you read the news about new deaths,
quarantines, and travel bans.
Stay
calm and follow your doctor’s instructions if you’re diagnosed with COVID-19 so
you can recover and help prevent it from being transmitted.
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