CORONA VIRUS : DON'T PANIC
Here is the answers to the most common queries about the novel corona virus based on discussion of various experts from the reputed institutes and analysis of the CDC, WHO, and MoHFW guidelines.
PREPARE CAREFULLY, BUT DON'T PANIC:-
BASICS FIRST:-
Involve your upper respiratory tract (nose, throat, airways, lungs).
caused by the newly discovered corona virus, called as novel corona virus, first identified in,
WUHAN,
CHINA in December 2019.
COVID- 19 is an infectious condition, which means it can be spread, directly or indirectly, from one person to another. Corona virus has "high infectivity but low mortallity".
HOW DEADLY IS CORONA VIRUS??
Mortality rate ranges between 2-3%. It is significantly LESS SEVERE THAN SARS 2003.(MR: 10%)
or 2012 MERS (MR: 35%) outbreaks.
Risk of death is higher in older people (above an age of ~60 years) and people with pre-existing health conditions.
WHY IS THERE SO MUCH PANIC????
The lack of verified facts and floating rumors are to be blamed for this panic.
The most important thing is when a virus is new, we don't know how it may affect people.
WILL I DIE IF I CATCHY THE DISEASE OR GOT INFECTED BY VIRUS???
"NO",
Number of recovered cases:- 121061 (till the time this was written),
Number of active cases:- 66,216 (till the time this was written),
Receiving medical care Total number of cases:- 57,463.
Number of deaths:- 4,368 (till the time this was written),
Almost 80% of people have mild symptoms, and recover from the disease in 2 weeks. Most of the symptoms can be treated with TIMELY MEDICAL CARE. (source: john hopkins center for system science and engineering as reported on march 11,2020).
WHO IS GETTING SICK AND HOW SICK???
Older people are twice as likely to have serious COVID-19 illness. Most corona virus led illness are generally mild, especially for children and young adults.
ARE CHILDREN ALSO AT RISK OF CORONA VIRUS INFECTION??
Just over 2% of cases under 18 years of age. Of these, fewer than 3% developed severe or critical disease.
COVID-19 APPEASER TO BE RELATIVELY RARE AND MI8LD IN CHILDREN.
SO, HOW EXACTLY DOES THE CORONA VIRUS SPREADS???
An infected person can spread the infection to a healthy person,
through eyes, nose and mouth via droplets produced on coughing or sneezing. Close contact with infected person. Contact with contaminated surfaces, objects or items of personal use. There is no such evidence as yet. Experiences with other corona viruses like SARS and MERS suggest that people do not get infected through food.
CAN THE NOVEL CORONA VIRUS BE PASSED ON THROUGH FOOD???
"NO"
There is no such evidence as yet.
The novel corona virus is not known to spread directly through poultry products. But, experts says it can be a good option to have only home made or properly cooked and served food.
CAN EATING CHICKEN AND EGGS CAUSES CORONA VIRUS???
"NO"
DO I HAVE CORONA VIRUS IF I AM COUGHING OR SNEEZING??
You can suspect to have corona virus, only if you have symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath) + any out of these:- travel history to a corona virus affected area (like china, iran, italy, republic of korea, etc).
Close contact with such a person.
Visiting a healthcare facilities/ labs where corona virus patients are being taken care of.
TRACK WHAT YOUR SYMPTOMS ARE:-
Corona virus can get you symptoms like fever, cough, shortness of breath. They can be almost similar to commoncold or flu and may appear 2-14 days of exposure. Severity of illness can vary in different people from mild to severe symptoms. If you have fever, cough, or sore throat, don't panic. Take good care of yourself:- inhale steam 2-3 times a day to clean off the congestion, stay hydrated and get adequate rest*, Take medicines as and advised by the doctors, Visit a doctor if condition worsens or does not get better with time.
COLD Vs. FLU Vs. CORONA VIRUS
If you have a sore throat, it's more likely a cold than flu or corona virus, In general.
time between catching the virus and beginning to show symptoms.
COLD:- symptom
1-3 Days,
How long do symptoms lasts 3-7 days,
FEVER- Sometimes,
RUNNY NOSE:- Common,
SORE THROAT:- Sometimes,
COUGH:- Common,
BODY ACHE:- Mild,
DIFFICULTY IN BREATHING:- Rare
FLU :- symptoms
1-4 Days,
How long do symptoms lasts 7-12 day,
FEVER:- Common,
RUNNY NOSE:- Sometimes,
SORE THROAT:- Sometimes,
COUGH:- Sometimes,
BODY ACHE:- Common,
DIFFICULTY IN BREATHING:- Rare.
NOVEL CORONA VIRUS :- symptoms
2-14 days,
How long do symptoms lasts:-
Mild cases:- ~2weeks,
Severe or Critical cases:-~3-6 weeks.
FEVER:- Common,
RUNNY NOSE:- Less common,
SORE THROAT:- Less common,
COUGH:- Common,
BODY ACHE:- Common,
DIFFICULTY IN BREATHING:- Common.
SHOULD I BE TESTED FOR CORONA VIRUS IF I HAVE HIGH GRADE FEVER, COUGH AND DIFFICULTY IN BREATHING??
Testing for corona virus will only be done as recommended by the doctors only if someone falls under the definition of "suspected case".
CAN I GET A CORONA VIRUS TEST DONE JUST FOR THE SAKE OF SATISFACTION???
"NO".
WHY CAN ONLY DESIGNATED LABS TEST CORONA VIRUS?? WHY CAN'T I GET A HOME SAMPLE COLLECTION DONE FOR CORONA VIRUS TESTING???
It is because virus is highly contagious and can only be tested by special labs equipped to handle such contagious pathogens. As of now, only labs with Biosafety level 4 (BSL4) can handle the COVID-19 samples.
CAN A PERSON INFECTED WITH CORONA VIRUS RECOVER COMPLETELY AND BE NO MORE INFECTIOUS??
"YES",
Infect about 80% of peoples have recovered from the disease without needing special treatments.
CAN CORONA VIRUS BE TREATED???
"YES".
Symptom-based medical care is given and has proven really effective. There is no specific treatment or vaccine available for Novel Corona Virus as yet.
CAN EATING GARLIC PREVENT INFECTION WITH THE CORONA VIRUS???
There is no science-based evidence that proves its ability to protect against the corona virus.
WILL WARM WEATHER STOP THE OUTBREAK OF COVID-19????
As per the experts in the field, heat and warm weather is likely to decrease the spread of COVID-19.
HOW LONG DOES THE CORONA VIRUS SURVIVE OVER THE SURFACE OR OBJECTS???
Survive up to 8-10 hours over porous surface (like paper, untreated wood, cardboard, sponge and fabric) and a little more than this over non porous surfaces (like glass, plastic, metals, varnished wood).
WHAT TYPE OF MASK SHOULD ONE WEAR TO PROTECT AGAINST THE CORONA VIRUS???
The three layer (3ply) disposable surgical masks are good enough to contain the virus. N-95 OR N-99 masks are not mandated.
SHOULD THE CORONA VIRUS OUTBREAK CONCERN YOU ABOUT YOUR PETS OR OTHER ANIMALS???
We still recommend washing your hands before and after you interact with your pets as you may not know if some infected droplets get on your pet's fur.TO DATE, NO CASE HAS BEEN REPORTED OF PETS OR OTHER ANIMALS BECOMING SICK WITH COVID-19. The virus that causes COVID-19 seems to be spreading easily and continually. Community spread is been only in some affected geographic areas like CHINA, REPUBLIC OF KOREA, IRAN, ITALY, HONG KONG etc.
MAJOR CONCERN:- HOW EASILY DOES IT SPREAD??
Channel your worries into these 3 actionable goals:-
* Protect yourself.
* Protect your loved ones.
*Protect your community.
3PS: All it takes to defeat CORONA VIRUS!!
Wash your hands regularly with plenty of soap and water. Keep an alcohol -based sanitizer ready for times when soap and water are not available. Don't touch your eyes, mouth or nose with unclean hands. Keep your distance of at least 1 meter from anyone coughing or sneezing. Follow no-touch greeting for no germs contracted. Prefer "NAMASTE", "HAND WAVING" over "HAND SHAKE".
PROTECT YOURSELVES:-
Don't sneeze or cough into your hands. Use a tissue and throw it away immediately, or sneeze in the inner side of your elbow. Don't travel or visit crowded places if you are sick. Do wear a mask if you are sick and also if you are taking care of someone with the symptoms.
PROTECT YOUR LOVED ONES:-
If you feel unwell, seek medical attention. If you have a fever, cough or difficulty in breathing, stay indoors. Call healthcare professionals and follow their advice. Do not share "just any forwarded message", only share authentic information coming through medical experts.
PROTECT YOUR COMMUNITY:-
For any further queries contact the ministry of health & family walfare on their 24*7 helpline number (+91-11-23978046) or email at (ncov2019@gamil.com).
references:-
https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-coronaviruses
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html
Harvard Medical School. Coronavirus:Many questions, some answers.
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/
NOTE:- All information and numbers are as available and reported on March 7,2020.
DISCLAIMER:- This piece is for informational purpose only, it is not a substitute to a doctor's advice or any professional medical advice.
THANK YOU
STAY SAFE, STAY HEALTHY..