CORONAVIRUS — A GLOBAL HEALTH EMERGENCY

What is Coronavirus?

Coronavirus is a kind of virus that causes an infection in your nose, sinuses, or upper throat. Most coronaviruses are not dangerous. Some types of them are serious, though. Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS ) are important types of coronaviruses. In 2012, about 855 people in Saudi Arabia from MERS and 774 people died from SARS in 2003. Now in Dec 2019, WHO identified a new type in China and named it officially as COVID-19.

Coronavirus — Where is it from?

Coronaviruses were first identified in the 1960s, but we don’t know where they come from. They get their name from their crown-like shape. Sometimes, but not often, a coronavirus can infect both animals and humans. Coronaviruses are common in many different species of animals, including camels and bats. Rarely, these coronaviruses can evolve and infect humans and then spread between humans. Recent examples of this include SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. Most coronaviruses infect animals, but not people. In the future, one or more of these other coronaviruses could potentially evolve and spread to humans, as has happened in the past. We still don’t understand why only certain coronaviruses are able to infect people.

Coronavirus — Symptoms

The symptoms of most coronaviruses are similar to any other upper respiratory infection, including running nose, coughing, sore throat, and sometimes a fever. In most cases, you won’t know whether you have a coronavirus or a different cold-causing virus, such as rhinovirus.Common human coronaviruses usually cause mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract illnesses, like the common cold. These illnesses usually only last for a short amount of time. Symptoms may include

• headache
• cough
• sore throat
• fever
• a general feeling of being unwell

Coronavirus — Diagnosis

Lab tests, including nose and throat cultures and blood work, are carried out to find out whether your cold was caused by a coronavirus, but there’s no reason to. The test results wouldn’t change how you treat your symptoms, which typically go away in a few days.

But if a coronavirus infection spreads to the lower respiratory tract (windpipe and lungs), it can lead to pneumonia, especially in elderly people, people with heart disease, or people with weakened immune systems.

Coronavirus — What to do?

There is no vaccine for coronavirus. To help prevent a coronavirus infection, we follow the same rule as we do to avoid common cold:

• Clean your hands with soap and warm water or with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Keep your hands and fingers away from eyes, nose and mouth
• Avoid close contact with people who are infected.

You treat a coronavirus infection the same way you treat a cold:

• Get plenty of rest.
• Drink fluids.
• Take over-the-counter medicine for a sore throat and fever. Aspirin is not recommended to children or teens younger than 19; use ibuprofen or acetaminophen instead
• A humidifier or steamy shower can also help ease a sore and scratchy throat.

Coronavirus — Transmission

Human coronaviruses most commonly spread from an infected person to others through

• the air by coughing and sneezing
• close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands
• touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes before washing your hands
• rarely, fecal contamination

In the United States, people usually get infected with common human coronaviruses in the fall and winter. However, you can get infected at any time of the year. Most people will get infected with one or more of the common human coronaviruses in their lifetime. Young children are most likely to get infected. However, people can have multiple infections in their lifetime.

Coronavirus — Protect Yourself and Others

How to protect yourself:

There are currently no vaccines available to protect you against human coronavirus infection. You may be able to reduce your risk of infection by doing the following

• wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
• avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands
• avoid close contact with people who are sick

How to protect others:

If you have cold-like symptoms, you can help protect others by doing the following

• stay home while you are sick
• avoid close contact with others
• cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, then throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands
• clean and disinfect objects and surfaces

For more info: https://www.myhipai.com/coronavirus