What is Coronavirus and what to do?

Hello everyone, today I am going to talk about the deadly virus known as COVID-19 or Corona Virus. We will see what is coronavirus exactly and how it has evolved, how easily it spreads or how likely you are on the verge of getting affected, how to save yourself from this, and many more. Please read on this post to know more about it.

People worldwide are getting affected by this virus and it is spreading very heavily. We all know the situation of China, Italy, Iraq, and Iran as to how majorly it has affected them and the whole world. There have been more than 14, 925 deaths till now from this virus in the world. This has created such sudden havoc in the world for which we were not ready for. 

Now, this virus has affected India also. The virus is in its second phase right now, but according to doctors, if we don't pay enough attention, soon it will move to the third stage which is a community spread, and believe me that would be a worse situation ever.

Let's talk about what this exactly is:

What is COVID-19?

It is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that has been encountered before. Like other coronaviruses, it has transferred to humans from animals. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared it a pandemic.

• This virus came into existence on 31st December 2019 in Wuhan, China where Pneumonia of unknown cause was detected and was reported to WHO.
• WHO is working 24/7 to analyze data, provide advice, coordinate with partners, help countries prepare, increase supplies, and manage expert networks.
• The outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 30 January 2020. 

Once in your lifetime, you must have been affected by common cold, cough, or fever. That means once in your lifetime you have been affected by a member of that virus family. This virus is nothing but an advanced version of the viruses of the same family and this virus is much deadly than the others. We have seen the deaths this virus has caused in the whole wide world.

Why it is called a pandemic?

If an infection is contained after transmission to only a few countries, it is not called a pandemic but if it is not contained then in a short span of time, it spreads across the globe, like COVID-19 did, it becomes a pandemic.

Phases of the virus:

There are four stages of this virus:

1. The first stage is when cases of infection are imported into a country which is not the source of infection.
2. The second stage is when there are cases of local transmission in the country.
3. Community transmission is the third stage of the outbreak. It becomes hard to track the chain of transmissions, which means the virus starts to spread to those people also who do have not traveled neither come in contact with someone who has traveled to a virus prone area. In this situation, lockdown is very important to hold the containment of the virus.
4. The last stage is when the virus becomes endemic that means it keeps on resurfacing round the year, like malaria and dengue.

How can I stop myself and others from getting infected?

• Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and do this often, including when you get home or at work.
•  Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
• Avoid touching your face(this virus can enter your body through nose, ears, mouth, and eyes).
• Use tissues while sneezing or the crook of your elbow and throw away the tissue straight into the bin.
• Avoid close contact with people who are showing these symptoms.
• Follow the guidelines given by the government (if asked to stay at home, please stay).

Please follow all the instructions and stay safe.

How can you tell the difference between flu and COVID-19?

Typical flu symptoms come on quickly, including high fever, sore throat, muscle aches, headaches, shivers, runny or stuffy nose, fatigue, and more occasionally, diarrhea and vomiting. Doctors are still working to understand the full scope of symptoms and severity of COVID-19, but early studies of patients taken to the hospital found nearly all of them developed a fever and dry cough, and many had fatigue and muscle aches. Pneumonia (lung infection) is common in coronavirus patients, which leads to breathing difficulties.

The only real confirmation of having COVID-19 is taking a test though.

What are the symptoms this coronavirus is causing?

According to WHO, the most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, tiredness, and dry cough. About 80% of the people who get COVID-19 experience a mild case about as serious as regular cold and recover without needing any special treatment.

About 1 in 6 people get sick, WHO says, elderly people and people having a previous history of heart disease are more prone to this.

Should I go to the doctor if I have a temperature or cough?

No, you should not but if the symptoms persist for more than 3 days and increase then definitely you need to go.

How many people have been affected?

More than 3,73,475 worldwide have been affected by this virus and 16318 people died due to this virus. The good news is 1,01,399 people have recovered from this disease. 

You can check wordometers for more information.

What should I do if I have symptoms?

People are advised to stay at home for at least 7 days. If you live with other people, they should stay at home for a minimum of 14 days. If the symptoms still persist, you should immediately go to a doctor and get yourself checked.

If I get coronavirus, how sick can I get?

80% of the people affected by coronavirus have very mild symptoms and gets cured by little treatment. While 15% of the people had severe symptoms like shortness of breath, low blood oxygen, or other lung problem and less than 5% of the cases are found to be critical. Older people or people with respiratory problems, heart disease, or diabetes are at higher risk.

What is the mortality rate of new coronavirus?

It is probably about or less than 1%. The WHO's general director, Chris Whitty believes it will prove to be 1% or lower. Deaths are higher in the elderly, with very low rates among young people. But, that doesn't mean younger people are need not to take precautions. A doctor from China reported that a significant number of cases consist of young people, so no one is immune.

Can you get infected on public transport?

The virus can linger for 48 hours or even possibly 72 hours on a hard surface, such as handrail in the trains or metro or even bus - though less time on a soft surface. That is why the advice is to wash your hands regularly and avoid touching your face, to prevent the virus from getting into your nose, mouth, or eyes.

Most of the infections happen in families, where people live in more proximity. That is why you are advised to stay at least 1 to 2 meters away from anyone who shows symptoms. The water droplets from the cough or when they are speaking can get into you and infect you.

Is there a cure for COVID-19?

Not at the moment, but drugs that are used against some viruses are being checked in China. A miracle cure is not expected.

Please go through this link for more updated information about COVID-19. Please stay at home. This is a very crucial time for us. Stay safe.

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Love!