Coronavirus: Everything you need to know about Coronavirus- COVID
- Tejaswini Rao
- Mar 28, 2020
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 29, 2020
COVID-19 the one thing that's haunting more than 100 countries and spreading as fast as fire.
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. Most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness.
According to the latest information if you contract it, then what will be your Symptoms? How are these symptoms different from the common cough and cold? Exact Symptoms??? How easily does it spread and how fatal can it be for you? Is it contagious? How are the governments and countries across the world reacting to it? How is the Indian Government reacting? Why is the coming week going to be crucial for India? What are the Dos and Donts?
Come let us know all of this information about Coronavirus.
Previously this virus was not named. It was being called as the Novel Corona Virus. Now the scientists have named it as SARS-CoV-2, because this virus is very similar to the SARS virus that had spread in 2003. And the disease caused by this virus has been named COVID-19.
The rate at which this virus is spreading, cities worldwide have been locked down to contain its spread. Schools, restaurants, shops, cinemas, gyms, air-travel- all have been shut down.
What is a coronavirus?
According to the WHO, coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).
These viruses were originally transmitted from animals to people. SARS, for instance, was transmitted from civet cats to humans while MERS moved to humans from a type of camel. Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans.
The name coronavirus comes from the Latin word corona, meaning crown or halo. Under an electron microscope, the looks like it is surrounded by a solar corona. The novel coronavirus, identified by Chinese authorities on January 7 and since named SARS-CoV-2, is a new strain that had not been previously identified in humans. Little is known about it, although human-to-human transmission has been confirmed.
What are the symptoms?
According to the WHO, signs of infection include fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.
Where has the new coronavirus come from?
It is currently unclear where the virus has come from. Originally, the virus was understood to have originated in a food market in Wuhan and subsequently spread from animal to human. Some research has claimed that the cross-species transmission may be between snake and human; however, this claim has been contested.
Mammals such as camels and bats have been implicated in previous coronavirus outbreaks, but it is not yet clear the exact animal origin, if any, of SARS-CoV-2
How contagious is COVID-19?
Increasing numbers of confirmed diagnoses, including in healthcare professionals, has indicated that person-to-person spread of SARS-CoV-2 is occurring. The preliminary reproduction number (i.e. the average number of cases a single case generates over the course of its infectious period) is currently estimated to be between 1.4 to 2.5, meaning that each infected individual could infect between 1.4 and 2.5 people.
Similarly to other common respiratory tract infections, MERS and SARS are spread by respiratory droplets produced by an infected person when they sneeze or cough. Measures to guard against the infection work under the current assumption that SARS-CoV-2 is spread in the same manner.
Is this a global emergency?
Yes, this outbreak is a global health emergency, the WHO said on January 30, raising the alarm further on March 11 when it declared the crisis a pandemic. The international health alert is a call to countries around the world to coordinate their response under the guidance of the WHO. There have been five global health emergencies since 2005 when the declaration was formalised: swine flu in 2009, polio in 2014, Ebola in 2014, Zika in 2016 and Ebola again in 2019.
How is the Indian Government reacting?
Despite being the world’s second most populous country, with more than 1.3 billion people, the nation has reported 24 deaths and around 987 cases as of 28/03/2020. Taking rapid actions to limit travel by suspending visas and quarantining all incoming travelers has helped. All international passengers entering India undergo Universal Health Screening. According to health officials, more than 1 million passengers have been screened at airports, limiting the entry of coronavirus.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government was quick to recommend residents avoid or postpone mass gatherings until the the virus is contained. The Ministry of External Affairs postponed the Indian cricket league and state authorities are shutting schools, gyms and swimming pools in the worst-hit regions.
Even so, the nation still faces many of the same challenges as other countries, including limiting unauthorized gatherings and debunking fake health messages circulating on social media. The global economic impact will be hard to avoid, with the United Nations’ trade and development agency predicting the slowdown in the global economy caused by the coronavirus outbreak is likely to cost at least $1 trillion.
DOs and DON'Ts of Coronavirus
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