The COVID-19 coronavirus continues to claim lives worldwide. Find out what coronavirus is, what its symptoms are, how to treat it and how to prevent it.The Covid-19 coronavirus has caused an unprecedented health crisis worldwide. It has already affected 198 countries and has run its fierce rampage in China, Iran, Italy, Canada, USA, Spain, France, and the UK. The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially declared the coronavirus crisis a pandemic. People are infected in most countries, and health professionals insist on the need to follow preventive measures and avoid social contact. Many countries have already closed their borders and put the population under voluntary or forced confinement.
What is Covid-19 coronavirus
The 2019-nCoV coronavirus was first detected in December 2019 in the central-eastern Chinese city of Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province and with some 11 million inhabitants.Coronaviruses are a family of viruses discovered in the 1960s but of unknown origin. They cause different types of diseases and it is common to contract some throughout life, without further significance. The coronavirus gets its name from its crown-like appearance.
Coronavirus symptoms
The symptoms of the new coronavirus are analogous to those of the common flu: fever and fatigue, accompanied by dry cough and, in many cases, dyspnea (difficulty in breathing). So are runny nose, sore throat and headache, fever as well as chills and malaise.However, the symptoms of the coronavirus vary in each individual, that is, there are infected people who hardly present symptoms. As with the flu, the most severe symptoms occur in older people and in immunosuppressed subjects and with chronic diseases such as diabetes, some types of cancer, or lung conditions. It is also this group with the highest coronavirus mortality rates.
How the coronavirus is transmitted
Coronaviruses are airborne viruses. They are transmitted in a limited way between humans, generally by the respiratory route through the drops produced by carriers when they cough, sneeze or speak. These secretions contain viral particles that can reach close people or settle on nearby objects and surfaces. If someone touches these surfaces and then puts his hands to his own eyes, nose, or mouth, the pathogen finds a way to enter the body. Although it can also be transmitted by human contact or by contaminated objects or substances.A study published in The Journal of Hospital Infection on the surface permanence of the SARS-CoV-1 coronavirus (causing the SARS outbreak in 2003) shows that the virus can last from several hours in materials such as aluminium to five days in plastic. It has been found in another more recent study published in The New England Journal of Medicine that the behaviour of the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) on surfaces is similar to that of SARS-CoV-1.
Causes of the Covid-19
It is still unknown exactly which triggers coronaviruses. Researchers from every corner of the globe are trying their best to find out its root. The early researches, however, suggest that the virus might have originated in bats and then was transmitted to humans via an intermediary animal, such as snake or pangolin. At the moment, a certain common link of the infections has been found with a fish and seafood market in the Chinese city of Wuhan.How to prevent coronavirus
To date, no specific vaccine or treatment is available to combat coronavirus infection.Experts point to three main measures to prevent infection: frequent hand washing, avoiding touching your face, and avoiding close or prolonged contact with people with symptoms of the infection. Hand washing is the cheapest and most effective measure to prevent this and other infections. A wash of at least 20 seconds with soap and water is capable of eliminating pathogens present in the hands and breaking the possible chain of virus transmission. If your hands are not dirty, it is also useful to use a hydroalcoholic solution (with at least 60% alcohol).
Healthy people do not need to use masks as the physical barriers do not seem to protect much. However, It is highly recommended that individuals with respiratory symptoms wear a mask when they are going to be in contact with other people (in the subway, in the cinema, etc.).
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends healthy people to wear a mask only if they care for or are relatives of a person with COVID-19 or with a reasonable suspicion of having the infection.
Further Reading:
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-publicBe Informed Whenever a New Post is Published.
If you enjoyed this article, SUBSCRIBE now for FREE to get regular updates delivered to your E-mail inbox.Your E-mail is safe with us - No spam, we promise.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment