What is COVID-19?
COVID-19(Coronavirus Disease - 19 is a disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 that can affect your upper respiratory tract (Sinus, nose, and throat) or lower respiratory tract (windpipe and lungs.) It spreads the same way other coronaviruses do, mainly through person-to-person contact. Infections range from mild to deadly.
Symptoms of COVID-19 –
COVID-19 affects different people in different ways. Most infected people will develop mild to moderate illness and recover without hospitalization.
Most common symptoms:
· fever
· dry cough
· tiredness
Other possible symptoms: -
· aches and pains
· sore throat
· diarrhea
· conjunctivitis
· headache
· loss of taste or smell
· a rash on the skin, or discoloration of fingers or toes
Coronavirus Risk Factor -
Anyone can get COVID-19, and most infections are mild. The older you are, the higher your risk of severe illness.
You also a have higher chance of serious illness if you have one of these health conditions:
Chronic kidney disease
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
A weakened immune system because of an organ transplant
Obesity
Serious heart conditions such as heart failure or coronary artery disease
Sickle cell disease
Type 2 diabetes
Conditions that could lead to severe COVID-19 illness include:
Moderate to severe asthma
Diseases that affect your blood vessels and blood flow to your brain
Cystic fibrosis
High blood pressure
A weakened immune system because of a blood or bone marrow transplant, HIV, or medications like corticosteroids
Dementia
Liver disease
Pregnancy
Damaged or scarred lung tissue (pulmonary fibrosis)
Smoking
Thalassemia
Type 1 diabetes
Coronavirus Transmission-
The virus mainly spreads from person to person. it spreads when a sick person coughs or sneezes. They can spray droplets as far as 6 feet away. If you breathe them in or swallow them, the virus can get into your body. Some people who have the virus don't have symptoms, but they can still spread the virus.
You can also get the virus from touching a surface or object the virus is on, then touching your mouth, nose, or possibly your eyes. Most viruses can live for several hours on a surface that they land on.
A study shows that SARS-CoV-2 can last for several hours on various types of surfaces:
Copper (pennies, teakettles, cookware): 4 hours
Cardboard (shipping boxes): up to 24 hours
Plastic (milk containers, detergent bottles, subway and bus seats, elevator buttons):2 to 3 days
Stainless steel (refrigerators, pots, pans, sinks, some water bottles): 2 to 3 days
That’s why it’s important to disinfect surfaces to get rid of the virus.
Coronavirus Diagnosis -
Call your doctor or local health department if you think you’ve been exposed and have symptoms like:
Fever of 100 F or higher
Cough
Trouble breathing
FAQs -
1. Can a face mask protect you from infection?
A mask is an added layer of protection for everyone, on top of social distancing efforts. You can spread the virus when you talk or cough
2. How can you help stop the spread of the coronavirus?
By following the below safety measures :
limit your contact with other people as much as possible.
follow safety practices such as wearing a cloth face mask in public places and
washing your hands every 30 mins.
cover your nose and mouth in public
avoid touching your face
clean and disinfect
social distancing/physical distancing
quarantine yourself
isolation
3. What is the recovery rate for coronavirus?
Between 97% and 99.75%.
4. Can you get the coronavirus twice?
There have been a few cases of reinfection reported and presently, it is considered a rare occurrence.
5. Is there a cure for the new coronavirus?
There’s no cure yet, but researchers are working hard to find one.
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