What is Coronavirus?
In between late 2019 and early 2020, a new virus began generating news headlines all over the world because of the unprecedented speed of its transmission throw humans.
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 Brazil.
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The virus (officially named SARS-CoV-2) COVID-19 has been responsible for millions of infections globally, causing hundreds of thousands of deaths. The countries like Italy, France, Brazil, India and the United States is the country most affected in the world.
The disease caused by an infection with SARS-CoV-2 is called COVID-19, which stands for coronavirus disease in 2019.
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Despite the global panic in the news about this virus, you’re unlikely to contract COVID-19 unless you’ve been in contact with someone who has a COVID-19 infection.
Read the full blog to learn all about COVID-19:
- 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
Why this virus is known as coronaviruses?
The word corona means “crown.”
When examined closely, the round virus has a “crown” of proteins called peplomers jutting out from its centre in every direction. These proteins help the virus identify whether it can infect its host.
The condition known as severe acute respiratory syndromes was also linked to a highly infectious coronavirus back in the early 2000s. The SARS virus has since been contained.
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 2 weeks before you notice symptoms.
Some common symptoms that have been specifically linked to COVID-19 include:
- a cough that gets more severe over time
- a low-grade fever that gradually increases in temperature
- shortness of breath
- fatigue
Less common symptoms include:
- chills
- repeated shaking with chills
- sore throat
- headache
- muscle aches and pains
- loss of taste
- loss of smell
When these symptoms become more severe in people, then we must have to call emergency medical services if they have any of the following symptoms:
- trouble breathing
- blue lips or face
- persistent pain or pressure in the chest
- confusion
- excessive drowsiness
What causes coronaviruses?
Coronaviruses are first developing in animals before being transmitted to humans. For the virus to be transmitted 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.
You can infect easily by COVID-19 virus if you touch your mouth, nose, or eyes after touching a surface or object that has the virus on it. 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 like snakes or pangolins and then transmitted to humans.
This transmission likely occurred in the open food market in Wuhan, China but the Chinese government never admits the same to the world.
Who’s at increased risk?
Everyone will be at high risk of Covid-19 if you come into contact with someone who’s already infected 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
- Older adults and people who don’t have good health conditions are at risk for the contract the virus.
- Have a serious heart condition, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
- Have a kidney disease
- Have a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Have an obesity
- Have a bad immune system
- Have a type 2 diabetes
- Have a lungs disease
- Pregnant women have a higher risk of getting sick from respiratory viruses (COVID-19). There is a risk of transmitting the virus from mother to child during pregnancy isn’t likely, but the newborn can contract the virus after birth.
How to get tested for Coronavirus?
In case you feel your symptoms are specific to the coronavirus, your healthcare provider can get in touch with the local healthcare departments for testing instructions. There are specific labs set up for conducting coronavirus tests, so you may be directed to one of these labs.
Different types of coronavirus tests can be done:
Swab Test – In this case, a special swab is used to take a sample from your nose or throat.
Nasal aspirate – In this case, a saline solution will be injected into your nose and, then a sample is taken with light suction.
Rapid diagnostic tests based on antigen detection
Rapid diagnostic tests based on host antibody detection
This test detects the presence of antibodies in the blood of COVID-19 infected people. The strength of antibody response depends on several factors like age, medications, infections, and severity of disease etc.
Before the test, the concerned health professionals may request you to wear a mask during the test. In case any other steps need to be taken, the healthcare professional can communicate that to you.
What are the risks associated while testing for Coronavirus?
During the test, you may feel a gagging sensation when the swab will be inserted in your nose and throat. The nasal aspirate may especially seem a bit uncomfortable. However, all of these effects are temporary and will go away shortly after the test. In some cases of tracheal aspirate, there may be bleeding or infection. In the case of the blood test, no risks are observed. There may be a slight swell and pain in the area where the needle was inserted, however it goes away pretty soon.
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.
Examples of therapies used for these illnesses include:
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.
Results from a study of 138 people admitted into hospitals in Wuhan, China, with NCIP found that 26 per cent of those admitted had severe cases and needed to be treated in the intensive care unit (ICU).
About 4.3 per cent 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:
How can you protect yourself from 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:
Cover your mouth and nose while you coughing or sneezing.
Clean any objectives you touch a lot like phones, computers and doorknobs.
You must wear a mask?
If you’re out in a public setting where it’s difficult to follow physical distancing guidelines, the Medical guideline 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 mask using basic materials such as:
- a bandana
- a T-shirt
- cotton fabric
Cloth masks are preferred for the general public since another type of masks should be reserved for healthcare workers.
It’s critical to keep the mask clean. Wash it after 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 hand washing and practising 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 masks
What to do?
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 you 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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