Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), coronavirus symptoms and coronavirus prevention

CoronaVirus

In today's world, the most concerning and most discussed topic is the Coronavirus and the number of people infected by this virus as it is spreading in the world like Epidemic. 

What is CoronaVirus?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO)Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause disease common cold to more severe diseases like Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). 

A novel coronavirus (nCoV) which breakthrough in the year 2019-2020 is a new species of Coronavirus whose properties have not been identified yet. Specialists say that it is a virus which is transmitting from human to human.  WHo describes it as a zoonotic virus as it is spreading between humans and animals.

How all this start?

COVID-19 was first identified during an investigation into an outbreak in Wuhan, China. According to media reports it started from a sea-food market of Wuhan.

Municipal Health corporation of a small province of China announces that in their area few people are suffering from pneumonia-like disease and many among them are critical. They also declared that doctors of their area are unable to point out the germ which caused this disease.

Soon they declared they found few more patients with the same symptoms.
After observing all the cases Doctors soon came to the conclusion that this is the effect of either an unknown virus or bacteria which is transmitting easily. They kept these patents isolated and specialist scientists started their investigation to identify the cause component. 

On 9th January 2020 Center for disease control and prevention (CDC) stated that they identified the cause and it is a new species of CoronaVirus (nCOV19). On 10th January CDC showed the genome sequence of this new virus.12th January this virus has been named Severe acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2).
(Data collected from various websites)

Worldwide scenario

CoronaVirus isn't confined to China anymore; it spread through the whole World as a pandemic. 

Locations with Confirmed COVID-19 Cases, by WHO Region

Africa

Algeria

Burkina Faso

Cameroon

Democratic Republic of Congo

Ghana

Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire)

Kenya

Nigeria

Senegal

South Africa

Togo

Americas

Argentina

Bolivia

Brazil

Canada

Chile

Colombia

Costa Rica

Cuba

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

French Guiana

Guadalupe

Guyana

Honduras

Jamaica

Martinique

Mexico

Panama

Paraguay

Peru

Trinidad and Tobago

United States

Eastern Mediterranean

Afghanistan

Bahrain

Egypt

Iran

Iraq

Jordan

Kuwait

Lebanon

Morocco

Oman

Pakistan

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

Tunisia

United Arab Emirates

Europe

Albania

Andorra

Armenia

Austria

Azerbaijan

Belarus

Belgium

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bulgaria

Croatia

Cyprus

Czechia

Denmark

Estonia

Finland

France

Georgia

Germany

Gibraltar

Greece

Holy See (Vatican City)

Hungary

Iceland

Ireland

Israel

Italy

Kazakhstan

Latvia

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Malta

Moldova

Monaco

Netherlands

North Macedonia

Norway

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Russia

San Marino

Serbia

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Turkey

Ukraine

United Kingdom

South-East Asia

Bangladesh

Bhutan

India

Indonesia

Maldives

Nepal

Sri Lanka

Thailand

Western Pacific

Australia

Brunei Darussalam

Cambodia

China

Hong Kong

Japan

Macau

Malaysia

New Zealand

Philippines

Republic of Korea

Singapore

Taiwan

Vietnam

(source )

According to www.worldometers.info/coronavirus many people also recovered from CoronaVirus infection. 

Symptoms

The following symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure.

Fever

Cough

Shortness of breath

(source)

How does Coronavirus spread? 

The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person.

Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet).

Respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. 

(source)

Who is at risk

People most at risk of getting the virus are those who have:

recently traveled overseas, particularly to high-risk countries.

been in close contact with someone who has a confirmed case of COVID-19.

Based on case studies of coronaviruses, other people most at risk of serious infection are :

people with compromised immune systems (such as people who have cancer)elderly people.

people with chronic medical conditions.

people in group residential settings.

people in detention facilities.

very young children and babies.

At this stage the risk to children and babies, and the role children play in the transmission of COVID-19, is not clear. However, there has so far been a low rate of confirmed COVID-19 cases among children, relative to the broader population. (source)

Prevention 

Prevention

There is currently no vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease in 2019 (COVID-19). The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus.

But we can take some preventive measures to protect ourselves. 

Clean your hands often-

Wash your hands often with soap or Hand Wash for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.

If soap or Hand Wash is not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

Avoid close contact- 

Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Put distance between yourself and other people if COVID-19 is spreading in your community.

This is especially important for people who are at higher risk of getting very sick.

Stay at home- 

Stay home if you are sick, except to get medical care.

Learn what to do if you are sick. 

Avoid going to any crowded place.

Cover coughs and sneezes-

Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or use the inside of your elbow. Throw used tissues in the trash.

Immediately wash your hands with soap or use sanitizer.

Wear a facemask- 

 You should wear a facemask when you are around other people when you are sick.  

If you are not sick then wear a facemask was caring for someone who is sick (and they are not able to wear a facemask). 

Wear facemask while you are going out of your home or in any crowded place. 

Clean and disinfect-

Clean and disinfect your home frequently, clean all touched surfaces of your residence daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, sinks, etc.

If surfaces are dirty, clean them. Use detergent, soap, and disinfectants to clean.

Wash your clothes regularly- 

Wash your clothes regularly especially those you wear outside with detergent and disinfectants. 

Take medical assistance if you are sick- 

Stay home if you feel unwell. 

If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention, and call in advance. Follow the directions of your local health authority.

Stay informed and follow the advice given by your healthcare provider-

Stay informed on the latest developments about COVID-19. 

Follow the advice given by your healthcare provider, your national and local public health authority or your employer on how to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.

(Source-1) (Source-2)

This is a time of crisis throughout the world as coronavirus spreads like pandemic but we shouldn't panic. We should take all the preventive measures to protect ourselves. 

Thanks and Regards

Allimagegreetings team