5 Major Things You Should Know About COVID-19
Corona is a Latin word that means ‘crown’ which were seen under the microscope over the surface of the virus, and hence named ‘coronavirus’. Coronavirus causes respiratory diseases that are identified from common cold to the high body temperature, the symptoms of this deadly disease are also matched with the symptoms of the SARS(severe acute respiratory syndrome), and MERS(middle east respiratory syndrome) viruses, which were also first identified in China.
COVID-19 is caused by the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 which has entangled the whole world. Though the world’s doctors and researchers are still analyzing the root cause of this new virus and testing for a vaccine that will cure this deadly virus, here are few things they want you to know about the coronavirus.
1. COVID-19 is still under research
SARS is a virus that was first identified in China in 2020 according to the WHO (World Health Organization) report, the symptoms were cold, cough, sneeze, muscle ache, and difficulty in breathing properly. Then also there was no proper evidence of the source of the disease, people caught up in that deadly virus when the droplets of the sneeze, cough through the infected person was spread into the air. There was no treatment for this SARS virus and the only way to recover from it was to lock it and take precautions.
CDC(center for disease control and prevention) has stated that it is the first pandemic disease developed as coronavirus, and these novel influenza viruses have caused four pandemics in the last century. Therefore, the action is been taken for COVID-19 based on pre-existed pandemic influenza diseases.
The illness can be seen from mild fever to severe illness causing sudden death, the old age people and those who have severe illness symptoms are at higher risk. Although doctors do not have a clear image of COVID-19, and those who have been hospitalized are aged between 20 to 44 years. According to the journal published in the New England Journal of Medicine in mid of March shows that the coronavirus can survive in aerosol for several hours and can stay for days on the surfaces.
Researchers, doctors, and scientists from CDC, NIH (National Institutes of Health), UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles), and Princeton University, who participated in the investigation of COVID-19, found that the virus was detectable in aerosols for up to three hours, on copper for four hours, cardboard for twenty-four hours, and on steel and plastic for three to four days. However, there is still research going on the evolution and spread of the deadly virus, and people who are infected are spreading the virus without identifying or before identifying the symptoms according to the NIH.
2. Experts Are Engaged In The Quest To Reduce The Infections Of COVID-19
COVID-19 testing is being conducted in the research labs all over the world; CDC in the U.S. with state and local labs have conducted the test in all 50 states. Although the number of test results is limited at the point and without proper testing of COVID-19, it is hard to say how many people have been left unidentified. Meanwhile in the U.S. doctors are still keeping an eye on the new virus SARS-CoV-2 and studying the fine details about how it is transmitting through one person to another, and they are looking at the biological formation of this virus and trying to find a drug for it.
The mRNA-1273 an experimental vaccine developed in the lab of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has announced it as the first testing in humans that may take at least a year before such a vaccine is available in the hospitals. The first trial can be done on approximately 40 adults to see the results, and it could take a year to complete all the important phases of the treatment to ensure if the vaccine is effective in fighting the virus.
3. If You Feel Sick Do This
Symptoms od COVID-19 have been seen from so far from mild fever to severe health issues that will take you directly to the hospital or can cause immediate death. It takes 2 to 14 days for the virus to grow and show its symptoms in humans. Here are the symptoms of the coronavirus, if you find any of them consult your nearest hospital as early as possible:
- Fever
- Cough, cold
- Breathing issues
If you have been in direct contact with the person who had COVID-19 or you are living in the area with an ongoing spread of this deadly virus, then you should call for medical help.
Any warning signs that include, difficulty in breathing, chest compression or pain, or bluish lips or pale face, then seek immediate medical help form the medical experts if you see these symptoms or any other symptoms that cause you shortness of breath in any form. If you have traveled to another country in the past 14 days then health experts will keep you under observation and ask you to limit your socializing to stop the virus from growing.
4. Things To Do To Protect Yourself During COVID-19
A flu vaccine cannot protect yourself from developing COVID-19, the best way to protect yourself from coronavirus is to keep a distance of one meter from each other, cover your face when somebody sneezes and coughs in the air, wash your hands before and after touching any public things, do not touch your face, cover your face with the mask, and keep a hand sanitizer with you.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has suggested a few things prevent COVID-19 to some extent that are:
- Wash hand with liquid handwash and clean water for at least 20 seconds and wipe them with your hand towel and keep your towel clean. If you do have liquid hand wash then use a hand sanitizer that has at least 60% of alcohol in it.
- Stay home and in isolation, if you are feeling sick, avoid going out and avoid making any contact with anyone. Call medical help immediately.
- Use tissue paper to cough and sneeze and dispose it into the trash, also try to avoid your eyes, nose, and mouth as these are the direct gate for the virus to entering into your body.
- Disinfect your house using an alcohol contained spray at the objects that are being touched by everybody in the house, like the table, chair, mobile phones, switchboards, bulbs, remote, vessels, and doorknobs, etc.
CDC recommends the face masks for everyone and especially for people suffering from COVID-19, as face masks are not tightly helpful in stopping the virus from entering into your body, but it will help to some extent.
According to the WHO, people of age groups of 40 and above are at greater risk, these people should avoid social gatherings and stay mostly at home. For emergencies, you should keep a stock of groceries and hand sanitizers at your home.
5. Precautions Are Extremely Essential:
Threat spreads at a greater speed than the virus, people are making storied and myths about the new virus; thus it is recommended to follow the instruction given by reputed health organizations like CDC and WHO. You can visit the websites of such health organizations for busting the myths about coronavirus. The research is still going on the new virus hence anytime the conditions can be changed.
Government and state governments are taking actions and precautions for stopping this deadly virus to spread in the country. The government has asked to stop going to public places like restaurants, shopping, using public transports, and trips, etc. Do not involve in the public group that has more than 10 people in it.
Follow the rules of your government properly as every action has been taken while keeping in mind the safety of you and your family.
Final Guidelines On The COVID-19:
No one knows hows the situation about COVID-19 will be progressed, doctors have given four phases of this new virus, the “investigation”, “recognition”, “initiation”, and “acceleration” followed with “deceleration” in which the condition of the illness will start decreasing and people may get cured with COVID-19.
At the time of isolation keep yourself positive, do meditation and try to manifest the good from the universe. Doctors and researchers are continuously trying to find the therapeutic evidence of the Coronavirus, and the day is not far when they will come out with an antidote of COVID-19.
